Firecracker
by DragonShadow
Summary: When Donna Ramone gets a glimpse of Alex's fighting prowess, she coaxes Alex into the seedy world of underground street fighting. Alex struggles to discover what is missing that makes this new world so enticing to her.
1. The Thrill of Rebellion

Firecracker: The Thrill of Rebellion  
  
Beverly Hills High School. Perfection condensed into a single building. Its students were all of the highest caliber, doing everything they could to excel in their chosen fields. A few were meaner than others, and existed outside of the perfect throng of course. Mandy was one, using her power, money, and female 'asssets' to trick boys (and a few girls) into doing her bidding. But she wasn't the only one by any means. Every school had its rough cases. And this one was no different.  
  
Donna Ramone grunted as sweat poured down her body, clothed in a thin tank-top over a black sports-bra and a pair of short shorts. Her muscles rippled as her fists tore into the punching bag in front of her, slamming into it with more than enough force to render a grown man unconscious. Actually, they HAD done just that on several occasions.  
  
Alex watched from the other side of the bag as she held it steady, very glad she'd never wound up on the receiving end of Donna's fists. She'd come close when they first met, but thankfully the brutish woman had decided against pounding her face into a pulpy mess.  
  
"That's some swing you got there." Alex commented as one particularly heavy punch nearly pushed her off her feet through the bag. Donna grinned and hunched over, panting heavily as the sweat rolled down her body.  
  
"Nothin' like a good workout." Donna panted, wiping her forehead with the back of her gloved hand. "You sure you don't wanna take a couple swings Firecracker?" She asked companionably. Alex smirked at the nickname, but didn't comment. Donna had given it to her because, as she'd put it, 'she looked docile one second then exploded the next.'  
  
"Nah, I can't afford to get all sweaty, I'm meeting my friends after this." Alex replied.  
  
"Come on, I just wanna see what you got. See how much bite there is behind that bark." Donna stepped back and gestured to the punching bag.  
  
"Well... one couldn't hurt." Alex smiled and stepped up to the bag, putting her fists up in front of her. Donna moved around the bag to hold it as Alex wound up her punch and threw her fist forward with all her might. Her fist hit the bag... and glanced off, barely moving it.  
  
Alex blushed when Donna started laughing. "Wow... my little sister has more force than that."  
  
"Hey, punching isn't my thing." Alex grumbled, shaking out her fist. "I'm more of a kicking person."  
  
"Kicking eh? Let's see one of those then." Donna got back behind the bag and grabbed hold of it. Alex lowered into a full fighting stance, her foot scraping against the ground as she centered herself.  
  
She whirled with lightning speed, her well-exercised thigh lashing out. Her foot slammed into the bag with enough force to knock it back, sending Donna flying to the floor on her back. Donna stared at the ceiling in shock as Alex rushed to her side and knelt down.  
  
"Oh my gosh! I'm sorry! Are you okay!?" Alex exclaimed worriedly. Donna blinked, staring up at her.  
  
"That was amazing!" Donna sat up, her eyes staring into Alex's with a newfound respect. "Damn, you got some legs on you. You could stop a charging bull with those deadly weapons." Alex was blushing furiously and rubbing the back of her neck.  
  
"Awww... stooooop..."  
  
"I'm serious Firecracker, what do you do to keep that kinda shape? I've never seen you in the gym. Are you a superhero or something?" Donna pushed herself to her feet, eyeing Alex appreciatively.  
  
"Ehehe... or something..." Alex's blush deepened even further.  
  
"Tell me, have you ever considered taking those legs pro?" Donna wrapped one arm around Alex's shoulders companionably. She still stank of swear after her long workout, but Alex wasn't about to say anything.  
  
"Pro? As in what?" Alex asked confusedly.  
  
"Friendly competition. You know, winner take all. I bet you could whoop them all if you wanted to." Donna told her seriously. Alex cocked one eyebrow, staring up at her. She wanted Alex to fight for prizes? She was pretty sure that was illegal... but wrestlers did it all the time, and she said it was just a friendly competition.  
  
"Sure... I mean it's just a friendly competition for fun right?" Alex asked.  
  
"Nothin' but fun." Donna smiled and slapped her on the back, nearly shoving her off her feet. "Swing by my place later tonight and I'll take you down to where it's happening. I gotta hit the showers right now." She turned to leave.  
  
"Alright, I'll see you tonight." Alex called and waved after her tough friend. When she was gone Alex turned to leave the gym, jamming her hands into the pockets of her blue-jeans as she made her way toward the mall and the Groovy Smoothie Shack where Clover and Sam were probably already waiting for her. Indeed they were, looking up when she entered.  
  
"There you are." Clover smirked. "What's the hold up? You're delaying a very important shopping spree."  
  
"Sorry. Donna wanted to talk to me about doing something t..." Alex stopped suddenly, remembering. "Oh gosh... I'm so sorry you guys, I completely forgot tonight was our official Spider-Man 2 party. I just made plans with Donna."  
  
"Don't sweat it Alex." Sam smiled gently. "I think it's good that you're making more friends at school. You can't pal around with me and Clover ALL the time, we all need our own private social lives too." Alex smiled. She was right, Alex had never quite been the most popular girl in Beverly Hills High outside of her closest friends. She'd spent the first half of high school stuck behind soda machines.  
  
"You talk like YOU have a social life." Clover grinned teasingly, earning a sharp glare from Sam.  
  
"My point is, go ahead with Donna. We can catch the movie another time." Sam concluded.  
  
"Awww thanks you guys!" Alex ran around the table and wrapped both of her friends up from behind in a tight hug. "You're the best! Now let's go buy some useless stuff we have no reason to want!"  
  
"Now you're talking." Clover grinned and pushed herself up from the table, followed by Sam, who was still sucking idly on her smoothie. "Come on, there's this new little shop right beside KB Toys that looks totally wicked!" Clover darted out of the shack, running through the mall while her friends followed more slowly.  
  
The day was spent shopping for absolutely nothing. Wasting the day away until the sun began to move down toward the horizon. Alex looked up through the skylight overhead, seeing the sun going down. She turned to her friends. "Sorry girls, I have to go meet Donna soon. We were going to go to some kind of event tonight."  
  
"Sure, we'll catch the movie tomorrow." Sam replied.  
  
"Definitely. Clover, you mind if I borrow your car?" Alex asked, putting her hands in front of her pleadingly. "Pleeeaaase?"  
  
"Yeah, sure. I'll catch a ride home with Sam." Clover pulled out her keys and tossed them to Alex.  
  
"Thanks. See you girls!" Alex caught the keys and ran off, making her way to the garage where she searched for a good twenty minutes before finally finding Clover's car. She climbed in and took off down the street toward Donna's house, growing more excited by the second. She'd never done anything like this before, and especially not with someone like Donna.  
  
She pulled up outside Donna's house shortly. It was a pretty tiny place compared to the mansions that made up the rest of Beverly Hills. Even the driveway looked small, not even looping back to the street again. It was just a straight line up to a small two-car garage. She'd never known Donna was so poor...  
  
She made sure to put on the parking break before walking up to the door and knocking. Her heart was racing, though she wasn't sure why. It was just a small competition with a friend. It shouldn't be THAT exciting.  
  
Donna pulled the door open and looked her up and down. "You're wearin' that?" She smirked.  
  
Alex blinked and looked down at herself. It was just a plain pair of blue jeans and a sleeveless black blouse with a pair of thick leather biker boots. "What's wrong with the way I'm dressed?" She asked curiously.  
  
"Come on, we gotta get you spiffed up." Donna pulled her inside and practically began yanking her clothes off. "I'm not walkin' in there with the Pretty Girl of Bev High."  
  
"Sorry..." Alex blushed lightly.  
  
"Here, try these..." Donna pulled open her closet and started flinging clothes at Alex over her shoulder. Alex quickly slipped them on, turning to look at herself in the mirror. The wore a black sports bra underneath a dirty T-Shirt with a Pentagram on the front, but had the star portion replaced by a heart. On her legs she wore a pair of rugged looking loose-fitting blue jeans, and a faded red bandana was wrapped around her forehead. On her arms she had a pair of thick blue pads that covered her wrists. She kept her biker boots.  
  
"Wow... I look... dirty." Alex commented.  
  
"Ya look the part." Donna put one arm around her shoulders. "Come on, let's get goin'." She turned to leave, closing and locking the door behind her before heading toward the driveway. She stopped when she saw Clover's bright-pink convertible. "Hot damn, Firecracker..."  
  
"I thought we could go in style." Alex smiled, walking up beside her. Donna looked over at her with an appreciative smile.  
  
"Suits me. I'd like to see them all piss themselves with envy." Donna leapt over the driver's side door, landing easily in the passenger's side and leaning back with her hands behind her head. Alex climbed into the driver's side the normal way and started the car.  
  
"You'll have to tell me where to go." Alex said as she pulled out of the driveway. So with Donna's occasional directions, they glided down the street in Clover's convertible until Donna suddenly yelled for her to stop. The tires screeched on the ground as Alex slammed on the breaks, bringing them to a stop beside a small alleyway entrance where several scruffy and dirty looking people watched them curiously.  
  
"Whoa... it's like stepping into another world." Alex climbed out of Clover's car, sticking the keys in her pocket. "I never knew there was anything like this in Beverly Hills."  
  
"'Course ya didn't." Donna remarked, walking around the car to join her. "Image ain't about how little riffraff there is, it's about how few people know about it. Come on, we gotta sign you up." Donna grabbed her wrist and pulled her into the narrow alley. They emerged into a fairly large area flanked by buildings on every side with only two alleys providing access. It was large enough to comfortably contain two hundred people, though there were significantly fewer than that mulling about tonight.  
  
Donna pulled her toward a small wooden desk set up against the wall, behind which a man with dark brown hair but a silvery goatee watched them with sharp, calculating brown eyes. "Donna, it's been quite a while. You finally gonna step back in the ring?" He smirked.  
  
"No such luck for you." Donna replied coolly. "I'm signing up Firecracker here." Donna put an arm around Alex's shoulders and pulled her into plain view, as she'd been cowering behind Donna before. "She's gonna be the next Donna 'Destroyer' Ramone."  
  
"There's only two other people signed up tonight. And both of 'em would love to get a hold of a... person like her." The man's eyes swept up and down Alex's body in a very disturbing manner. Alex could practically see him drooling. She wrapped her arms nervously around her torso, but Donna jerked her out of that quickly.  
  
"Sign her up anyway." Donna stated.  
  
"Alright. Her loss." She man shook his head and scribbled something onto his book. Donna grabbed Alex and pulled her away from him into the crowd of people.  
  
"What did he mean...? You guys wouldn't let them... er..." Alex trailed off, not wanting to say it.  
  
"It's anything goes." Donna replied. Alex gulped. "Don't worry, just put 'em in too much pain to care about that."  
  
"You said this was a FRIENDLY competition..." Alex whined softly.  
  
"It IS friendly, just... don't let it get TOO friendly." Donna told her.  
  
"Last call for bets!" A man shouted over the crowd.  
  
"Knock 'em dead Firecracker." Donna slapped Alex's back, sending her stumbling into a small circular area in the middle of the alley. Alex's eyes widened when she saw two men emerging from the crowd as well, both built like tanks with arms as thick around as Alex's waist. They both looked at her confusedly, then exchanged a glance and a malicious grin. Alex gulped as the announcer beckoned her forward, looking around at the three of them.  
  
"Okay, only way to win is to knock your opponents unconscious. Anything goes. Last man... person..." He corrected himself with a slight nod to Alex. "... standing wins. We have Muscleman," He gestured to the one on the right. "Bonesaw," he gestured to the other, then looked down at a small note that was passed to him from the crowd. "And... Firecracker." He gestured to Alex. When he was finished with that he looked Alex straight in the eye. "Good luck." He turned and ran out of the circle of bodies created by the spectators.  
  
Muscleman and Bonesaw exchanged a grin, then they both turned on Alex at once. Alex backed away from them quickly. "Okay boys... let's keep this friendly and nice okay?" She asked.  
  
"Oh we wanna be real friendly girl..." Bonesaw grinned.  
  
"Not what I had in mind..." Alex gulped again. She gasped as she backed into one of the spectators.  
  
"Hey! Get back in there!" The man shoved her back into the circle toward her two opponents. Alex stumbled off balance, looking up just in time to see the two muscle-bound brutes bearing down on her.  
  
She leaned back to avoid their grasping hands, leaping to her hands and bringing her feet up to slam the toes of her boots into the jaws of both opponents. She completed the flip and landed easily in a crouch, watching the two large men reel back holding their jaws. There was no more lust in their eyes when they turned back to her, just raw anger.  
  
"Um... I'm sorry?" Alex grinned sheepishly. The men growled and lunged at her again, but she rolled to the side and darted away from them quickly. She tried to break through the crowd and get away, but they threw her back in again, this time slamming her to the ground on her back. "Hey! Come on, I don't wanna do this anymore!"  
  
"Too bad, we got you 'till you pass out." Bonesaw grabbed her arms, holding her down while Muscleman walked up in front of her with a malicious grin on his face. "You shouldn't have tried to challenge us girly, we happen to like feisty women." They both laughed darkly.  
  
"Come on Firecracker!" Alex blinked and saw Donna yelling from the crowd. "I know you can fight! What are you waiting for!? Do it!" Alex stared at her. She was right... what was Alex doing? She wasn't some helpless little girl in a dark alley. She was an international spy, trained to bring down terrorists with her brains AND her brawn.  
  
"I hope you're not a newbie, girl." Muscleman grinned as he got on his knees in front of her.  
  
"Let go of me!" Alex brought her legs up and slammed the heels of her boots into Muscleman's eyes. He screamed and fell back, but Bonesaw didn't even have time to react before she rolled up and slammed the toes of her boots into his eyes, sending him back with a pained scream. Alex put her hands on the ground and flipped to her feet, moving away from them.  
  
The crowd watched in a stunned silence except for Donna, who was whooping at the top of her lungs. "Go girl! Show those muscleheads what a 'girly' can do!" She shouted. Alex smiled at the encouragement as the now-blind brutes pushed themselves to their feet. Alex charged forward and leapt into the air, whirling and slamming her foot into Bonesaw's jaw. He collapsed to the ground, but she'd barely landed before she leapt again, this time at Muscleman.  
  
He managed to regain his sight just in time to see her coming. Her foot flashed like lightning, slamming into his face with the repetition and force of a jackhammer. It lasted only a few seconds before she landed in front of him, but one more backflip kick with both boots to his jaw sent him hurtling straight to the ground. Alex landed in a crouch, looking around to see both her opponents lying on the cold pavement.  
  
For a few moments the crowd stood in stunned silence, staring at her like she'd just accomplished an inhuman feat. Alex stood up, afraid there would be a riot or something until Donna pushed through the crowd and ran up to her, grinning. She grabbed Alex's hand and thrust it up high.  
  
"THIS is the next 'Destroyer'!" Donna yelled to the crowd. Finally the crowd showed some emotion, some cheering, some cursing that they'd lost their bet. Alex's eyes swept the crowd, seeing a grudging admiration in the eyes of most, and others with an enthusiastic grin on their faces. Even a few whistles and hollers erupted from the crowd.  
  
It was exhilarating as Alex looked across the crowd, her fist raised in triumph over her opponents. She never knew just how great victory felt. Not by a fluke, not because of some judges. Her own strength and Donna's encouragement were the only factors here. The feeling followed her away from the crowd, with Donna pulling her out of the combat circle. Before she knew it they were in Clover's convertible on their way to Donna's place.  
  
"I gotta say, you really surprised me." Donna said appreciatively. "I had a feeling you could win, but you whipped them like it was nothin'." Alex blushed slightly, a broad grin plastered across her face.  
  
"Just a lot of practice I guess." Alex replied.  
  
"Well, here. Something to make your first victory even better." Donna said. Alex looked over at her curiously, seeing her holding out a wad of cash. "I was the only person to actually bet on you."  
  
"Whoa..." Alex took the money in one hand, being careful to keep one eye on the road as she examined it. "There's gotta be a few hundred dollars here."  
  
"Six hundred, actually. Including your victory prize." Donna grinned. Alex blinked and turned to stare at her in amazement. "There's a reason people come to these things. The kind of cash you can get from it is well-worth the risks." Alex smiled slightly, shoving the cash into one of the pockets in her jeans. She was feeling pretty good, though a nagging doubt still clouded her euphoria. She dispelled it quickly. Sure it was dangerous, but so was her work with WOOHP.  
  
She pulled up outside Donna's house and climbed out of the car with her, walking up to the door. "Well, this has been pretty fun. I'm glad you brought me along." Alex said as they stopped at the door.  
  
"Who said the fun's over?" Donna grinned slyly. "There's plenty more cash to make and fun to be had. Hell, there's another fight tomorrow night if you're interested." Alex quirked one eyebrow, intrigued. She was sure she'd be fit to fight again by then... but was this really something she wanted to make a regular occurrence? It was technically illegal... and she could be seriously hurt.  
  
"Hey... you said anything goes. Does that include foreign objects?" Alex asked.  
  
"Of course. Why, you got a sword or somethin'?" Donna smirked. "Remember that KILLING your opponents is discouraged."  
  
"Nah, nothing like that." Alex replied quickly. "I'll do it. I'll be here tomorrow night at the same time to pick you up." Alex waved and turned to leave.  
  
"Take care of yourself Firecracker." Donna waved after her and turned to go inside. Alex climbed in the convertible and made her way home, humming a lighthearted tune to herself even after she pulled up and skipped inside the large mansion. She didn't know why she was in such a good mood. She felt like a movie star or something. Hearing those people cheer for her... it had been wonderful. Well, perhaps she could wow them even more tomorrow.  
  
She made her way up to her bedroom and turned on her TV, popping in a DVD of the first Spider-Man movie. She pulled her clothes off as it played, realizing that they actually belonged to Donna. She would have to return them to her at some point. Tonight she was tired though. So she walked to her closet and pulled it open, looking back at the TV as she reached for her nightgown.  
  
She jumped when a box tumbled out of the closet. "Oh shoot... my emergency gadgets." She knelt down to pick them up and put them back in the box, but she stopped when she saw two Zipline Bracelets sitting on the floor. She stared down at them, then turned to watch Peter Parker web his way around a wrestling cage in the movie. "Hmmm..." A grin spread across her lips and dropped the bracelets on her nightstand, putting the rest of her gadgets back in the closet. She would have a big surprise for the audience tomorrow night.  
  
The night passed as normal and she awoke the next morning, rested and ready to face the world. She got dressed in one of her normal outfits and made her way to school, where she found Sam and Clover hanging out in front of the main entrance talking.  
  
"Hey Alex." Sam exclaimed when Alex approached. "Did you have fun with Donna last night?"  
  
"Yeah, lots." Alex smiled. "She's a really great person when you get to know her a little bit."  
  
"Wonderful for Donna." Clover smirked. "So are we still on for the movie tonight Alex?" She asked. Alex paled, she'd completely forgotten about her movie-date with them when she agreed to fight again. "I'm guessing from your expression that the answer is no."  
  
"I'm really sorry girls... but I made more plans with Donna tonight..." Alex said apologetically.  
  
"Hey, no sweat. The movie will be in theaters for a long time." Sam replied.  
  
"No, don't wait for me. You two go ahead." Alex said. "Don't let me ruin your fun because I'm doing something else."  
  
"We're best friends Alex, we wanted to go together remember?" Sam asked.  
  
"I know, but I don't want you two to keep waiting for me. Really, go ahead. I insist." Alex said. Sam and Clover exchanged a curious glance, but Alex walked up to them and slung her arms around each of their shoulders. "Come on, please?" She gave them the widest eyes she was capable of.  
  
"Alright fine... but we are still going to the mall today aren't we?" Clover asked. Alex bit her bottom lip nervously. "Is that a no?"  
  
"I have preparing to do..." Alex said softly.  
  
"It's no biggie. We go to the mall together EVERY day, missing one day doesn't make a difference." Sam said.  
  
"Thanks Sam..." Alex smiled. After that the bell rang, and they all had to rush to their respective classes. Alex was suddenly not feeling so good about going to the fight with Donna tonight. She never blew off her best friends, and now she'd done it two nights in a row. She felt like the biggest heel ever... but she couldn't change it now.  
  
After school let out she left the school with Sam and Clover, walking toward the parking lot. "Hey, Clover... would you mind if I borrowed your car again?" Alex asked sheepishly.  
  
"Where are you taking it?" Clover asked.  
  
"Um... out..." Alex replied.  
  
"Clover, give her your car. We're both going to the movie anyway, you can ride with me." Sam stated. Clover grumbled and waved her acceptance. Given that Alex still had the keys she didn't really have to ask, but she wasn't about to take her friend's things without asking.  
  
"Thanks Clover, I'll drop by your place later tonight to give it back." Alex promised.  
  
"Yeah yeah." Clover waved her off and walked to Sam's convertible without another word. Alex exchanged an apologetic glance with Sam before turning to head for Clover's car, reaching into her pocket for the keys. She would have to make it up to them somehow... maybe she could treat them to a nice dinner tomorrow. If she got half as much tonight as she got the night before, she'd be able to buy them a computer or something if she wanted.  
  
Alex made her way home and locked herself in her bedroom, pulling out one of her spare WOOHP uniforms and a set of paintbrushes she'd thrown aside after giving up on her art class. She wasn't the best painter in the world, but how much skill did it take to paint a bodysuit black? She spent much of the day doing just that, adding a few red splotches like fireworks before hanging it up to dry.  
  
She did the same with the boots and gloves, then painted little fireworks on the black bandana she wore to her karate classes. She looked up from her work when she heard the phone ring. She grabbed the receiver and put it between her cheek and her shoulder so she could continue her work. "This is Alex."  
  
"Hey Firecracker, just wonderin' when you were coming. You're runnin' kinda late. The fight starts in thirty minutes." Donna said. Alex blinked and looked at her clock in surprise.  
  
"Ah! Sorry! I'll be right there!" Alex slammed the phone down and quickly changed into her new black and red Firecracker suit, pulling the bandana on to complete the ensemble. For good measure, she slipped a Zipline Bracelet onto each wrist before running out of the house, jumping into her car to race toward Donna's house.  
  
When Donna opened her door and saw her she gave her a really strange expression. "Who're you supposed to be?"  
  
"Uh... Firecracker." Alex blushed. Donna blinked, then grinned and let out a barking laugh.  
  
"I like. Let's get going." Donna grinned. Alex smiled back and they turned to leave the house, making their way to the same alley Donna had brought her to the night before. There were more people here tonight, milling about and talking among themselves. When Alex approached several of them just stopped and stared at her.  
  
"They're staring at me..." Alex noted.  
  
"Word travels fast. Nobody's ever won their debut fight, especially against two men triple their size." Donna grinned. "You get to the starting circle while I go sign you up and place my bet."  
  
"Are you betting on me?" Alex asked.  
  
"Who else?" Donna winked and turned to make her way through the crowd away from her. Alex smiled and pushed her way through the crowd to the center of the small alley/arena. There were three people already waiting there, but none as big as the bruisers she'd faced the night before. One woman who was sitting on the ground sharpening a long dagger with a rock looked up at her.  
  
"You the new girl?" She asked with a smirk. When Alex nodded she climbed to her feet, looking her over. "You look like some kinda wannnabe superhero." She laughed. "What, did you get bitten by a radioactive ninja?" Alex decided not to dignify that with a response. Don't sink to their level... that was her plan. She was just here to have fun, not make enemies. "You're mine, coward." The woman stated plainly.  
  
Alex remained solidly silent until the announcer moved to the middle of the circle, holding up his hands. "Tonight we have another free-for all. Anything goes, last person standing wins it all." He stated before he started ticking off the names of the participants. Some used their real names, others used pseudonyms. He gestured to each of Alex's opponents in turn. "Benjamin Cranker! Deathstrike! Kathryn Armstrong!" At the last name he gestured grandly to the woman with the blade, who was still staring at Alex.  
  
"And in her second fight since last night's stunning debut! Firecracker!" He gestured to Alex grandly, and the entire audience made noise. It was hard to distinguish what noise they were making, but to Alex at least some of it sounded like cheering. "Good luck to all of you." The announcer turned to run out of the circle as the participants leapt forward to attack each other.  
  
Within seconds the roar of the crowd turned her attention to one particular combatant, who'd just knocked out another with a hefty wooden baseball bat within the first ten seconds of the match. Alex whirled in time to see Kathryn's blade arching toward her back, so she leaned forward and kicked one leg up, slamming it into her wrist.  
  
"Agh! Damnit!" Kathryn yelled as the blade arched into the crowd. The audience members dove to get out of the way lest they be impaled. Alex stood up straight and whirled in a furious kick, but someone grabbed her from behind, yanking her out of it and holding her arms out to her sides.  
  
"Agh! Hey! Let go!" Alex struggled to free herself, but the second attacker held her tight. Kathryn grinned and walked up to her, holding a different blade in front of her. "No fair!"  
  
"What do you think this is, a wrestling match?" Kathryn grinned and raised the blade over her head. "All's fair!"  
  
"Fine!" Alex bent her wrist sharply and slammed her finger onto one of the buttons on her bracelet. A thin wire shot out of it, embedding itself into the wall beyond the spectators. Another button pulled her toward the wall, avoiding Kathryn's stab and slamming the man who'd been holding her onto the ground, knocking him unconscious. He let go in a moment, and Alex withdrew the zipline as she rolled to her feet.  
  
"What the Hell is that?" Kathryn demanded angrily.  
  
"Anything goes, remember?" Alex smirked. Kathryn growled and charged again, but Alex fired her zipline higher up on the wall and jumped, being pulled up onto the wall above the heads of the spectators. She set her feet against the bricks like she was standing on it, hanging from the zipline.  
  
"Get down here you coward!" Kathryn yelled furiously.  
  
"Come get me!" Alex raised her other Zipline Bracelet and fired. The line wrapped around Kathryn's legs and tightened, yanking her off of her feet and dragging her along the ground toward the wall. Kathryn yelled in surprise, scratching at the ground desperately. The crowd roared with laughter as she was pulled off the ground upside down, dangling in the air like a trapped rabbit.  
  
"Put me down you coward and fight me like a woman!" Kathryn screamed.  
  
"Put you down? M'kay." Alex pressed the release on her bracelet. Kathryn screamed as she plummeted toward the ground head first. The impact knocked her unconscious instantly. The crowd was going wild, shouting congratulations and, for those who'd bet on her, victory praises. Alex couldn't stop a grin from spreading along her face as she walked down the wall, supported by the zipline until she reached the ground and drew it back into her bracelet.  
  
Donna ran up to her when she reached the ground, throwing her arms around her. "You did it Firecracker!" She laughed joyously, picking the smaller girl up and swinging her around. "Man, that was awesome!" the crowd around them was roaring with laughter and excitement. Alex herself was so full of adrenaline it felt like she would explode. They were all cheering for her. All this celebration was for her...  
  
Finally Donna put her down with an ear-to-ear grin on her face. "Where did you get those wires?"  
  
"Oh... just something I cooked up in my spare time." Alex lied with a grin of her own plastered on her face.  
  
"Whatever. Come on, let's get our money." Donna turned and pulled her through the crowd. Several people patted her on the shoulder and said 'congratulations' while others gave her dark scowls, as if they wanted to put a knife in her back right there. They approached the man at the betting counter and Donna slammed her palm onto it. "I think you know what I want good man."  
  
The man behind the counter shook his head and whistled. "I gotta admit Donna, you know how to pick 'em." He looked at Alex appreciatively as he held out a rather large wad of cash. "She's almost as good as you used to be."  
  
"Almost buddy, almost." Donna smirked and turned to leave the circle, letting Alex follow behind her on her own. She flipped through the wad of bills on their way through the alley to the car. "Damn, this is a Hell of a haul... not as much as I used to get though." She smirked.  
  
"Can I ask you something?" Alex asked as they reached the convertible.  
  
"It's still a fairly free country." Donna climbed into the passenger's seat.  
  
"If you were so good at this, and you loved it so much, and you got so much out of it... why did you quit?" Alex asked as she climbed into the driver's seat and turned the ignition. Donna looked over at her, watching her pull away from the curb and drive down the street.  
  
"Didn't have much of a choice." Donna smirked and looked back to the road. She reached down and rapped her knuckles against her knee. "Police raid of one of our fights last year. Took a cap in the knee and got a stay in the hospital before they shipped me off to juvie." Alex flinched as she pulled up her pant leg, revealing a rather large scar on her knee. That explained why she always sat out gym class. "I don't move so well anymore... but that doesn't mean I'm done with the biz."  
  
"Police raid..." Alex muttered softly, suddenly not so sure she wanted anything to do with this 'biz'. "Does... does that happen a lot?"  
  
"Not really, that was the only one I've ever seen, and I've been going to these things since I was twelve." Donna pulled most of the bills out of the wad she'd been given and held them out to Alex. "Here, your share." Alex took it silently and shoved it into one of her suit's pockets. "You alright Firecracker? You look kinda pale."  
  
"I'm fine..." Alex shook her head. "Just... thinking about Sam and Clover." She lied quickly, not wanting her to know she was having second thoughts. She'd taken Alex under her wing, she couldn't start second-guessing herself now. "We were supposed to go see Spider-Man 2 tonight."  
  
"Oh, well ya wanna go? My treat, for being such a good sport and getting me all this cash." Donna winked.  
  
"Sure... that sounds nice." Alex smiled slightly. They turned toward the theater and made their way to it to see the movie. They made it inside without incident and took their seats. Donna crossed one leg over the other, one thigh touching Alex's as they waited for the movie to start. Alex pretended not to notice, holding her popcorn in her lap and staring at the screen.  
  
The movie started and ended seemingly minutes later, though Alex found it difficult to concentrate on it. What was she doing? She was breaking the law, and using top-secret WOOHP technology to do it. Still, there was something about this life... something more exciting than saving the world. She wasn't sure what it was, but it filled her with feelings that she'd never known before. The thrill of victory, the pride in earning it with nothing but her strength and skill, the excitement of doing something forbidden... it was all so intoxicating.  
  
As they left the theater Donna slung one arm around her shoulders. "I'm glad ya brought me here Firecracker. This was a pretty nice night." She looked up at the stars. It had been a good movie, but Alex had the feeling she was talking about more than that.  
  
"Yeah, it was." Alex smiled back as they approached Clover's convertible. "What made you think I was able to fight...? I mean, you only saw one kick."  
  
Donna shrugged as they climbed into the car. "That was a damn professional kick. You don't get a kick like that without being able to kick some serious ass. I'm glad I decided not to fight with you, you woulda mopped the floor with me." Alex blushed as she started the car. She didn't think she was all that good... but then she had won both fights so far.  
  
They drove in silence to Donna's house, where they both climbed out of the car and walked slowly up to the door side-by-side. They stopped at the door and Donna looked over at her. "You wanna grab a bite to eat before you go?" She asked. Alex blinked as her stomach grumbled at the mention of food. She hadn't eaten since lunch.  
  
"Uh..." Alex blushed. "Sounds good." Donna smirked and gestured for her to come inside, pulling her leather jacket off and throwing it to the couch as she passed. Alex closed the door and followed Donna through the small, disheveled house. The place was a pigsty, something she would expect a bachelor to live in rather than a teenage girl.  
  
"So, where are your parents Donna?" Alex walked over to the couch and pushed some clothes aside so she could sit down.  
  
"Hell if I know." Donna replied. "Dad doesn't come around much. He basically just pays the bills." She walked back into the living room with a plate in her hand, on which a sandwich and potato chips rested. Alex took them with a grateful smile and started eating, watching Donna settle onto the couch beside her, sitting on top of a small pile of clothes.  
  
"What happened to your mom?" Alex asked.  
  
"Died." Donna replied simply. Alex bit her lower lip.  
  
"I'm sorry..." Alex murmured softly.  
  
"Don't be. It's not like you did it." Donna leaned back on the couch, staring at the ceiling while Alex ate her sandwich. The bread tasted a little stale and the turkey a little dry, but she wasn't about to complain. She never knew Donna didn't have her mother... was that why she was so tough all the time? Or was that just the way she was?  
  
"What do you think, Firecracker?" Donna asked. Alex looked over at her confusedly.  
  
"Think of what?"  
  
"This life so far." Donna swept her hand in a grand arch. "Money up the wazoo, fighting for it all, earning it all. I know you enjoyed the fighting... I saw it in your eyes." Donna stared at her, her eyes boring deep into Alex's.  
  
"It's... exciting." Alex smiled slightly. A grin spread across Donna's lips as she nodded.  
  
"Tell me about it..." She said.  
  
"It's like... it's all my doing. Everything else I do I have to answer to teachers... or bosses... or partners... or my mom..." Alex lowered the plate to the coffee table with the half-eaten sandwich and looked over at Donna. "When I was in there fighting... it's like I was... free. No rules, no purpose, no reason... just doing."  
  
Donna sat up and leaned closer to her, a sharp smile on her lips. In her eyes Alex could see a tinge of satisfaction... and a bit of something else... understanding? Or perhaps lust. "It's a great feeling, isn't it? That kind of freedom and power."  
  
Alex nodded. "It is..."  
  
"I don't know what it is about you, Firecracker." Donna said softly, her eyes narrowing though they never left Alex's. "Everything seems so strange in your eyes." One of Donna's hands reached up to touch her cheek, as though she would reach into her brain and pluck the truth out.  
  
"Well, I've never done anything illegal before..." Alex replied softly. "It's still kind of... weird."  
  
"Wanna break more laws?" Donna scooted closer to her with a grin. Alex knew what she was doing, she knew... and she didn't care. In fact, she found herself craving it. She'd never done anything like this before... any of it. This whole week was full of new experiences. Her brain knew they were bad. They were illegal... evil... immoral... wrong... and oh so exhilarating.  
  
The following morning found Alex lying in Donna's bed, a layer of sweat clinging to her body under the sheets as she stared up at the ceiling. Donna slept beside her, sprawled out across her side of the bed. Alex wasn't sure if this was wrong or not. But it felt so right... and Donna had done so much to bring her such great feelings. How could it be wrong?  
  
She pushed the blanket off of her body and climbed out of bed, approaching the open window through which the first beams of sunlight were beginning to filter. The wrapped her arms around her bare torso, watching the sun peer up over the horizon as the cool wind brushed pleasantly over her heated skin.  
  
"You look like you're thinking too much." Donna said from behind her. Alex turned to see the tough girl sitting up in bed, smiling at her slyly. "Something wrong?"  
  
"No... nothing wrong." Alex gave her a genuine smile. Despite all her doubts, she felt pretty good. "But I should get home and get ready for school."  
  
Donna nodded. "Maybe you should. Bring a change of clothes next time will ya?" Donna winked. Alex couldn't stop a blush from creeping across her cheeks, though she nodded and smiled back. She turned to pull on her black Firecracker outfit, knowing she still smelled of sweat and sex, but she would have time to shower when she got home to her clothes.  
  
"I'll see you at school." Alex waved and left, taking Clover's convertible home. She pulled up outside the house and rushed inside, sneaking past her mother's bedroom to her own, where she peeled off the bodysuit and flung it aside before grabbing a change of clothes and heading into the shower to wash up. She didn't relax until she'd washed herself thoroughly of the telltale smells that gave away her all night excursion.  
  
When she was satisfied she was clean she emerged and got dressed in one of her normal outfits, throwing her Firecracker suit in the closet. By now it was already close to school time, so she grabbed her books and turned to rush toward the front door.  
  
"Alex?" She heard her mother call from the kitchen.  
  
"Sorry mom, I'm late, gotta jet!" Alex ran outside and hopped in Clover's car, pulling out before her mother could give chase. She wasn't sure why she wanted to avoid her mom, but she really was running quite late anyway. She approached the school and carefully parked, heading up to the large double doors that opened into their school. She stopped and leaned against the wall to wait for her friends.  
  
She tapped her toe worriedly on the ground when the bell rang. It wasn't like Sam to miss school... did something happen to them while she wasn't there? Nah... they could take care of themselves.  
  
Relief washed over her when she spotted Sam and Clover racing up the sidewalk to the school entrance. "Sam, Clover, you're never late! What happened!?" Alex exclaimed worriedly. Clover came to a stop in front of her, glaring angrily.  
  
"I had to call Sam to come pick me up at the last minute because SOMEONE didn't bring back my car!" Clover shouted in Alex's face. Alex gasped and put her hands over her mouth. She completely forgot she promised to give Clover's car back last night... how could she be so stupid?  
  
"Clover, calm down. It was an honest mistake I'm sure." Sam said, putting one and on Clover's shoulder. Clover was undeterred however, holding up her hand.  
  
"Keys. Now." Clover spat robotically. Alex jammed her hand in her pocket and held up the keys, which Clover snatched out of the air.  
  
"I'm sorry Clover..." Alex reached for her, but Clover batted her hand away and stomped through the large double doors. Alex bit her lip and turned to Sam, who gave her a slight comforting smile.  
  
"Don't worry about her Alex." Sam said. "She's just a little touchy, she'll be fine."  
  
"Yeah..." Alex sighed. Sam squeezed her shoulder comfortingly.  
  
"Come on, we're already late for class." Sam pulled her inside the school, dragging her down the hallway toward their first class. Alex felt like a heel again. How could she have forgotten a promise to her best friend? She never forgot anything so important before. Was it the fights? The thrill? Was it corrupting her judgment? Or was it something else?  
  
She hadn't figured it out by the time school let out and she walked away from the large double doors, realizing she had no ride home. She stopped by the flagpole out front, sighing and looking around for someone to give her a ride. She spotted Sam and Clover walking away from the building, but Clover still had a furious look in her eye that Alex didn't want any part of.  
  
So she sighed and leaned against the flagpole, looking around for anyone else, but none of the faces around her seemed friendly. They all passed her by on their way to their own cars or the street to walk home. They filed past her, none taking notice of her until the school became completely empty. Other than Sam and Alex, she hadn't seen any other friendly faces. With Sam and Clover always at her side, she'd forgotten how unpopular she was... how alone she was without them...  
  
"Hey, Firecracker." Alex looked in surprise to see Donna sitting on her bike on the street, the engine humming underneath her. "You look like you could use a ride." She smirked and revved up her engine.  
  
"Sure... I could use a lift home." Alex smiled and walked over to her, throwing one leg over the back of the bike behind her. She wrapped her arms around Donna's waist to keep herself on the bike as Donna took off down the street, speeding up quite a bit. "Um... aren't we going over the speed limit?" Alex called over the rush of wind.  
  
"Yup!" Donna shouted back gleefully. Alex squeezed her waist tighter as they weaved through traffic. Alex expected to slam into something, but Donna handled the bike like a pro, moving through the cars like she'd been riding her entire life. Finally Alex began to relax, and enjoy the sharp wind and the excitement of breaking yet another rule. Why was being bad so damn exhilarating?  
  
"Wooohoooo!" Alex clung with her thighs and threw her arms up as they passed between two cars. Alex could've sworn one of them was Sam's convertible, but she wasn't sure. Oh well... she wasn't on their best side right now anyway. She could understand their being mad, she would just give them space and time to cool off. Then everything would be fine again...  
  
It turned out she was wrong. The more space she gave them to cool off, the more distant they became to her. When she finally did try to talk to Clover, she got brushed off for her trouble. What was the big problem? Well, at least she still had Donna and the fights to help keep her life stable. And the fights had only just begun.  
  
This went on for two full weeks. Night after night she fought, gaining victory after victory. It seemed like there was no one in Beverly Hills who could stand up to her combination of WOOHP training and technology. She thought she would get tired of it, but the thrill never ended, and with Donna betting more and more each time, their cash prizes only kept growing.  
  
Her relationship with Donna seemed to be changing though. It had started as something Donna suggested to break rules and have fun, but these days their lovemaking had become a nightly occurrence. And somehow it felt more... tender as time wore on. More than just fun... was she falling in love with Donna? This new world in which she found herself was so exciting... she felt so alive. And it was all thanks to her.  
  
It was two in the morning, and she was once again buried in Donna's bed sheets, lying against the tough girl with her head on her shoulder. They were both sweating and panting slightly, and Donna had her arm around Alex's shoulders, holding her close. Alex felt comfortable in that embrace... secure.  
  
"You know, firecracker." Donna said, staring at the ceiling. "After tomorrow night we'll have enough money to blow this place."  
  
"Leave Beverly Hills?" Alex looked up at her in surprise. Donna looked back.  
  
"Well yeah. This place is strictly small-time as far as street fighting goes. The big bucks are in Vegas." Donna replied. Alex blinked, staring up into her eyes. "You wanna make the big bucks don't you? Besides, you're not being challenged here anymore."  
  
"I guess... but my mom would worry if I just vanished." Alex said. "Plus Sam and Clover..."  
  
"Well it's up to you if you wanna leave." Donna shrugged. "We can stay here and make a few bucks a night, or we could go to Vegas and hit the jackpot in two weeks flat." Alex stared up at her, her cheek still resting against her shoulder. Leave her friends and family? Drop out of school? This wasn't like having fun... this was running away from her entire life.  
  
But... the thrill beckoned... "I'll do it." Alex said softly. Donna grinned and squeezed her shoulders.  
  
"I knew you were like me, Firecracker. Tomorrow I'll hook us up with a more comfortable ride to Vegas... and right after your fight we'll blow this Popsicle Stand." Donna told her. "We're moving onto bigger and better things, you and me." Her hand caressed Alex's shoulder as she closed her eyes, still smiling. "You'll see..."  
  
Alex snuggled against her shoulder, staring at the wall beyond. She was going to do it... she was leaving her old life. Sam, Clover, mom, high-school, WOOHP... all of it. For what? Money? Excitement? Donna? She didn't even know... but her heart wasn't as heavy as she figured it should've been. She was looking forward to it actually.  
  
The next morning she opened her eyes to find herself alone in bed. "Donna?" She sat up, looking around the clothing-strewn bedroom. She pushed the blanket aside and stood up, walking to the bedroom door to look into the hall. She spotted Donna talking on the phone, wearing her the red leather outfit she typically wore to school.  
  
"Yeah, thanks bud. I owe ya one." Donna hung up the phone and turned around. She smiled when she saw her. "Hey Firecracker, our ride's all set up. By midnight tonight we'll be on our way."  
  
"Sounds good." Alex smiled wistfully. "Well, I should get ready to go to school."  
  
"Why bother?" Donna asked.  
  
"I want to say goodbye to Sam and Clover at least." Alex replied. Donna stared at her for a moment, then gave her a smile.  
  
"Sure, I'll drive you." Donna replied. So Alex nodded and headed into the bathroom to take a quick shower. She emerged fully dressed and ready to go, but she stopped to scribble something on a piece of paper. Donna's bike got her to school in plenty of time, where she jumped off and turned back to Donna.   
  
"Wait here a minute while I talk to Sam and Clover." Alex said.  
  
"I'll be waiting." Donna sat back on her bike's seat, cutting the engine and looking around. Alex sighed and walked toward the school, spotting Sam and Clover leaning against the wall beside the double doors. She cleared her throat and approached them, walking tall and proud.  
  
"Hey." Clover said sharply.  
  
"Hey..." Alex replied coolly, looking back and forth between them. She tried to play it cool, but she broke down and slumped her shoulders. "Look girls, we should talk."  
  
"Yes we should." Sam replied, fixing her with a searching gaze. "We should talk about what's been going on with you lately. You spend all your time with Donna. Your mom said she found your last biology exam, and you didn't even do it. Plus she said you haven't been home in a week. She would've called the cops by now if we didn't tell her you were still coming to school."  
  
Alex blinked, unprepared for Sam's speech. "Well... things happened..."  
  
"WHAT happened?" Sam asked. Alex bit her lip and reached into her pocket, taking out the small note she'd written.  
  
"Look, I don't know if I should explain... but I'm leaving tonight." Alex told them.  
  
"Leaving?" Sam asked. Alex nodded and shoved the note into her hands.  
  
"Give this to my mom when you get the chance..." Alex said softly. Sam grabbed her wrist firmly and held on. Alex looked up at her face, seeing the emerald green eyes staring into hers with a mixture of worry and anger.  
  
"Alex, what is going on? You can't leave, you have school and your mom and... y'know." Sam hesitated to mention WOOHP in such a public setting.  
  
"Yeah. I think that girl has gotten to you. Turned you into some kinda criminal like her." Clover glared past her at Donna, who was watching them carefully.  
  
"This is my choice. Not hers." Alex replied.  
  
"Well you're making the wrong one!" Sam shot back.  
  
"Let go of me!" Alex tried to pull away from her, but Sam held on, trying to pull her toward the school.  
  
"You're staying in school Alex!" Sam shouted. She yelped in surprise when Donna put her hand on her chest and shoved her back roughly, sending her up against the wall. Alex stumbled and fell to the ground when she suddenly found herself free from Sam's grip.  
  
"Hey!" Clover marched up to Donna, staring her down. "You don't touch my best friends! And you give us Alex back right now!"  
  
"I didn't 'take' her! Maybe you just had no idea who she was!" Donna cracked her knuckles, glaring at Clover. They were the same height, but Donna seemed to tower over the blonde prep girl. "Now back off!"  
  
"Make me, you brute!" Clover growled, clenching her fists and getting up in Donna's face. Alex jumped to her feet and jumped between the two girls, pushing them apart.  
  
"Enough! No fighting!" Alex looked back and forth between them sternly. In a moment her gaze settled on Clover. "I'll miss you Clover... but I feel like this is something I have to do."  
  
"Why!?" Clover screamed.  
  
"I don't know!" Alex screamed back. She could feel tears building behind her eyes. "But I just have to do it! Maybe I'm trying to prove something to myself... maybe I want to do something new for a change... maybe I'm just tired of everything here. I don't know... but I have to go." The barely contained tears began to run down her cheeks as she met Clover's gaze.  
  
"Alex, please." Sam walked up to them, rubbing her back where she'd connected with the wall. Donna had a lot of upper body strength. "Don't do this. We need you... your mom needs you... and you need an education."  
  
"I would say I'm sorry Sam..." Alex said softly. "But the strange thing is... I'm not." She stared into her redheaded friend's eyes. She didn't blink, and her tears had already dried. "I'll come back when I find out what I want to go for... what it is I need."  
  
Sam stared at her, tears beginning to run down her cheeks now. "Alex..." she gulped and put one hand on Alex's shoulder, squeezing it lightly. "Take care of yourself... and come back soon..."  
  
"Okay." Alex nodded, then pulled Sam and Clover into one giant hug. "I'll miss you girls." She felt Clover and Sam wrap their arms around her tightly, squeezing her until she pulled away from them and turned around. "And... give the note to my mom please Sam..."  
  
"I will." Sam replied. Alex nodded and walked away, with Donna walking right beside her. She was careful not to look back as she climbed on the bike with Donna, not relaxing until they took off down the street away from the school. The goodbyes were done, as hard as it had been... all that stood between her and Vegas now was one more fight.  
  
The rest of the day was lost to the wind, nothing more than time wasted in her wait for a new life to begin. Soon enough, they climbed in the blood-red convertible Cadillac Donna had bought for their trip to Vegas, and headed down to the old back alley where the fights were held.  
  
She was greeted with mixed cheers and scowls depending on whether they'd been betting on her or not. That old exhilarating feeling came back as she pushed through the crowd, letting Donna move away to sign her up and place her bet as Alex pushed her way into the middle of the crowd. She saw only one opponent tonight, a man with broad shoulders and rippling muscles. He wore only a loose fitting pair of slacks, bare-chested and barefoot. He was holding a staff in one hand, leaning against it.  
  
"Lemme guess, Bruce Lee?" Alex smirked.  
  
"Funny." The man stood up straight and gripped his staff in both hands. "I hope you're as good as they say. I need a challenge."  
  
"Any more clichés you wanna throw at me before we start?" Alex asked disinterestedly. The man smirked, but remained silent.  
  
Alex remained silent as well as the announcer walked out into the circle, looking back and forth between them. "Alright, everyone place your bets. The increasingly infamous and undefeated Firecracker versus the also undefeated Tanchi. Remember, corpses are frowned upon." He glared at Tanchi warningly. "And good luck to both of you."  
  
As the announcer left Tanchi lunged forward with lightning speed, swinging his staff into her face. Alex lurched to the side, but the staff slammed into her stomach, doubling her over it before hefting her off the ground and hurling her through the air. She hit the pavement hard on her shoulder, rolling to a stop several feet away.  
  
"Urgh..." Alex lurched to her feet as quickly as she could to avoid being considered unconscious and losing the match. She shook her head clear of the fog, turning back to her opponent. He was smirking confidently with his staff at the ready.  
  
Alex dropped into a fighting stance, trying to block out the whooping and hollering from the audience around them. She moved forward slowly, ready to act in an instant. Tanchi held his ground, gripping his staff in the firm but loose grip of an expert.  
  
Alex lunged suddenly, whirling with a kick that could decapitate a small animal. But her thigh slammed into the staff, raised by Tanchi. Her leg wrapped around it, throwing her off balance while her opponent gripped the staff with both hands and brought it to the ground hard. Alex screamed in pain as her knee was driven into the concrete by all of Tanchi's bodyweight.  
  
"Hang in there, Firecracker!" Donna's cry from the sidelines was the only thing that kept Alex from blacking out from the pain. It felt like her leg was split in half, but still she groaned and pushed herself up, trying to keep all her weight on her left leg. She was almost defenseless without both of her legs...  
  
"You've got guts girl. Most 'kickers' give up after I snap their leg like a twig." Tanchi smirked as Alex turned to face him, limping painfully. Alex crossed her arms up in front of her face.  
  
"Come finish me." She beckoned him onward with her index fingers. Tanchi leapt forward and brought his staff up in a wide vertical arc. Alex pressed the releases on her Zipline Bracelets, flinging the razor-thin wires forward. They both wrapped around the wooden staff on its way down to her head. She yanked her arms outward and reeled in the lines.  
  
The razor-thin wires cut through the wood easily, slicing the staff into three pieces, two of which collapsed to the ground harmlessly at her feet. Tanchi stared in shock at the remains of the staff in his hands, distracted long enough for one steel zipline to crack like a whip against the side of his face.  
  
"Aagh!" Tanchi howled in pain and lurched away from her. He collapsed to his knees, holding one hand over his right eye. Blood began to seep through his fingers as several people ran out to help him. Still, the announcer walked out and grabbed Alex's hand holding it up in victory.  
  
"Firecracker wins!" He shouted. The roar of the crowd was as usual split between those who voted for her and those who voted against her. She didn't care about that anymore though, what mattered was Donna's grinning face as she jogged up and wrapped her arms around her stomach.  
  
"We're gettin' outta here!" Donna lifted Alex and spun joyfully. She set Alex on the ground hard, making Alex wince as her wounded leg touched the pavement. Donna didn't notice. "Come on, let's get our money and get going." Donna wrapped Alex's arm around her shoulders and helped her limp away from the fighting circle.  
  
Alex looked back at Tanchi lying on the pavement. Blood was leaking through his fingers and dripping to the ground. It was the first time she'd caused that kind of damage to someone before... and for some reason, she didn't really care. Was that right?  
  
Donna collected their money from the betting agent and they turned to leave through the alley, with Donna practically carrying Alex by now. Her knee was aching like nobody's business. She could barely stand it.  
  
"My leg feels like it's on fire..." Alex whined painfully.  
  
"Here, let me look." Donna set her on the hood of the blood red convertible and pulled her right boot off. Alex winced as she raised the leg of her jumpsuit up over her knee. Donna hissed when she saw it. "Looks dislocated... it'll be fine, I'll just set it here... but it'll hurt like hell."  
  
"Okay..." Alex closed her eyes, feeling Donna's hands grip her leg firmly. A swift yank and a crack sent a wave of pain coursing through Alex's body, erupting from her throat in a strangled scream. She collapsed back onto the hood of the car, panting and trying to block it out. Thankfully, it only lasted a few seconds before beginning to dissipate.  
  
Donna smiled slightly and picked Alex up in her arms like a child, carrying her around to the passenger's side. Alex stared up at her as Donna set her on the seat and buckled her seatbelt, putting the boot on her lap. Donna walked around to the driver's side and turned the ignition, starting it with a roar.  
  
"We're leaving now...?" Alex asked softly through her pain-induced haze. Donna smiled back at her and nodded.  
  
"Yep. Say goodbye to the old school life, we're moving up in the world." She pulled away from the alley and took off down the street, toward a new life and a new adventure. Alex had left her compowder at home for the first time since joining WOOHP... she wouldn't be needing it anymore. And through her pain-induced haze, Donna looked like an angel carrying her forward in life for the first time.  
  
Was that what she wanted all along? Progress? Something beyond the cycle of beating an endless stream of megalomaniacal villains and failing term papers? Was that what she would find in Vegas with Donna? She could only hope...  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	2. Machine Master

Firecracker: Machine Master  
  
Las Vegas. A city of dreams held aloft on the glow of neon lights. Where everyone wanted to strike it rich and make their mark on the world one way or another. It was a somewhat daunting place even to this Beverly Hills resident. She's never seen such grandiose hotels and games as these. The rides were many, restaurants were placed seemingly every five feet, and the drinks were at minimum 5% alcoholic.  
  
It occurred to Alex that in all their missions, they'd never found their way to this particular city. "This place is like Clover's dream." Alex said as they passed by one of the many massive hotels that popularized Las Vegas in the eyes of the world. "And I thought Beverly Hills was grand."  
  
"That's what sets Vegas apart from the rest of the country. You can buy anything here. And I do mean anything." Donna smirked as they passed by a pair of somewhat scruffy looking women standing on a street corner. "'Course it's what you don't see that we're here for."  
  
"Where do we go for something that nobody will admit exists?" Alex asked curiously.  
  
"I know a bit about the place." Donna replied. Alex stared at her questioningly until she finally clarified. "I lived here for a few years before my dad decided to move me to 'cleaner' California. He thought it'd get me out of trouble." She chuckled darkly. Alex decided to remain silent.  
  
They pulled up outside one of the casinos that looked like a massive castle. A sign out front proudly proclaimed it to be the 'Excalibur'. Alex didn't know before that there was a hotel meant specifically for swords and sorcery nerds. She guessed this city really DID cater to everybody... everybody over 21 at least.  
  
"Come on, we need something." Donna pulled into one of the millions of parking spaces and climbed out of the convertible. Alex followed after her as they approached the massive hotel. "Remember, don't say anything. Let me do all the talking." Alex nodded as they walked through the doors into the casino itself. Alex covered her ears instantly, deafened by the noise of the slot machines going off every two milliseconds or so.  
  
"Is everyone in this city deaf or something!?" Alex shouted over the roar of the machines.  
  
"Probably!" Donna shouted back. "Come on! And try to look like you belong here!" Donna grabbed her wrist and dragged her through the casino. Alex tried to ignore the stink of cigarettes and body odor that combined with the noise of the machines to give her an instant migraine, but it was a futile effort and her head felt like it was going to explode any second.  
  
Finally they left the slot machines, and the migraine inducing smells, behind as Donna pulled Alex through a door that had an 'exit' sign on it. Alex allowed herself to look up from the floor, seeing that they'd emerged into a relatively small and dimly lit room with a flat red carpet leading up to a sturdy wooden desk.  
  
Donna kept a firm grip on Alex's wrist as they approached the desk. It was flanked by two burly looking men in business suits, like something straight out of a mob movie. The chair behind it turned slowly, revealing a rather handsome middle-aged man in a business-suit, with sharp blue eyes that must have had the power to suck in any girl who looked upon them. Because they sucked Alex in pretty good.  
  
"Donna." The man said graciously.  
  
"Dad." Donna replied. Alex blinked and looked at her, then looked back down at the man behind the desk. This was Donna's dad? The man who gave her such a crummy house in Beverly Hills? He looked like a billionaire crime boss. Why would he make her live away from him in those kinds of conditions?  
  
"They told me you were coming back. I wasn't sure whether to be proud that you're making your own way, or upset that you're disobeying my wishes." The man leaned back in his chair. Those deep, draining blue eyes stayed on Donna.  
  
"I think a better question is, why should I care what you feel?" Donna asked bluntly. "I'm not here to catch up with you anyway, I'm here to get Firecracker into the big-leagues." Donna wrapped one arm around Alex's shoulders, pulling her closer to the shrewd-looking businessman.  
  
"This little girl?" The man quirked one eyebrow, his eyes scanning up and down the length of Alex's body. "She looks like she can barely lift her schoolbooks, what kind of chance would she stand in a real fight?"  
  
"I'm not here for your opinion of her body." Donna smirked. "I'm here for your signature to let her in. Either give it to me, or we'll go find another way." Donna and her father stared each other down, while Alex looked back and forth between them. She had to wonder what happened between them to spawn this kind of open animosity.  
  
Donna's father finally broke the tension by opening a drawer and putting a piece of paper on his desk, grabbing a pen as well. "Name?"  
  
"Firecracker." Donna replied. Her father looked up at her incredulously. "That's all you need to know." He shook his head and started writing on the paper.   
  
In a moment he held up the paper and she snatched it away from him, looking over it carefully. "It's the standard, I assure you." He told her.  
  
"You talk like that's something to be reassured by." Donna smirked. Still, after looking it over thoroughly, she seemed satisfied by its contents. "Looks fine. We'll be seeing you in the ring." Donna turned to leave. Alex stood in place, staring at the man as if hypnotized until Donna grabbed her shoulder and dragged her toward the door.  
  
The noise of the slot machines once again assaulted her senses, but Alex had too much on her mind now to care about them. "That was your dad?" She asked.  
  
"Yep." Donna nodded, pulling her through the casino. Alex didn't speak again until they had left the nauseating scents and sounds behind, emerging into the front parking lot. She was tempted to ask what happened between them... but the look on Donna's face was enough to keep her from asking.  
  
So she climbed into the convertible underneath the perpetual neon glow that surrounded them. "Where are we going now?"  
  
"I have a place set up for us to stay. We're hitting the sack." Donna said. Alex sighed in relief. They had stopped only once to sleep and eat the entire way from Beverly Hills, and it was a fairly long drive. She was looking forward to prying her boots off and getting some shut-eye in a nice comfortable bed.  
  
Alex looked around in amazement as the glowing neon lights gave way to oppressive darkness, broken only by the line of street lamps on each side of the street. The buildings here looked rather run-down, with flecks of paint peeling off of the majority of them, while a few looked to have some pretty extensive damage.  
  
"What happened to the glowing lights and festive atmosphere?" Alex asked.  
  
"Style over substance Firecracker. If you can make a part of the city look good, the rest doesn't matter." Donna pulled up in front of a somewhat run-down looking building, then pulled into the alleyway beside it and brought the car to a stop. "Come on, let's get some sleep."  
  
"Can't we stay in one of those fancy hotels? You said we have a whole bunch of money saved up from the Beverly Hills fights." Alex jumped out of the car and walked around it to join Donna.  
  
"Relax, this place is fine. And safer for a couple of girls like us." Donna winked and walked toward the building. Alex blinked and gave her a curious look before following.  
  
Donna pushed the door open and stepped inside. Instantly two gun barrels emerged from around the doorframe, pressing into the sides of her skull. Alex almost had a heart attack, but Donna calmly held up the piece of paper her father had given her without looking to either side. In a few moments the guns pulled back, allowing Donna to walk inside.  
  
"She's with me." Donna gestured to Alex calmly. Alex was sure her heart would burst right through her ribcage, but at Donna's beckoning she walked slowly forward. She stopped at the door and poked her head inside, seeing the guards standing beside the door with some large, wicked looking assault rifles in their arms. Alex jumped past them and ran up to Donna, grabbing her arm tightly.  
  
"Ow! Hey, you're gonna pull my arm off!" Donna exclaimed.  
  
"Sorry..." Alex loosened her grip slightly, staring at the large bouncers with the large guns.  
  
"Relax, we're all friends here." Donna told her. Alex gulped and looked around at her new environment for the first time. The inside looked like a professional establishment, with thick red carpet leading up to a counter and a staircase with soft lighting. The walls were kept clean, and there was a chandelier in the ceiling that looked nice, but hung down almost low enough to hit one of the bouncers in the head at his full height.  
  
Donna approached the man behind the counter. "There any rooms left?"  
  
"Sure, will that be two?" The man replied.  
  
"One, actually." Donna pulled out a few bills and plunked them down on the counter. "And send us a nice meal in the morning."  
  
"Will do Donna, have a nice night." The man nodded as he passed her a key. He seemed like any other hotel clerk, as if this wasn't a hidden back-alley hotel with two well-armed thugs standing by the door.  
  
"Come on." Donna grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward the back, heading down a flight of stairs in the back beyond the staircase that led upward. They approached a sturdy wooden door near the back of a long hallway. Donna opened it with the key and went inside, with Alex following close behind her. The room was fairly large and well-kept, though it didn't have any windows, being underground.  
  
Alex walked to the bed and sat down, grateful for something soft after the long car ride. She pulled her right boot off and pulled up her pant-leg to examine her knee.  
  
"How's the leg doing?" Donna asked.  
  
"It feels better... but it's still a bit swollen." Alex replied, running one hand over the swollen knee. It wasn't as bad as it got in the hours after the fight, but it still didn't look quite normal.  
  
"It should go down soon. That was a Hell of a blow." Donna pulled her red leather jacket off and threw it to the floor, falling back onto the bed with a soft sigh and a thud. Alex watched her, wrapping her arms around her knee.  
  
"Donna... what happened between you and your dad?" Alex asked. Donna looked over at her. "You don't have to answer if you're uncomfortable with it... but I'd like to know."  
  
"Let's just say family ties are only as good as the family members." Donna smirked. Alex stared at her, not sure what to say. She remembered Donna mentioning a sister too... she wondered where she was, but decided not to press such uncomfortable issues anymore. "We should rest, with any luck we can find you a fight tomorrow and get the ball rolling."  
  
"Alright... goodnight." Alex nodded. Donna rolled over in bed and pulled the blanket up to her shoulders, reaching over to turn off the lamp on her side. Alex watched her sleep for several minutes before she pulled her remaining boot and gloves off and climbed under the sheets herself to settle down for the night.  
  
The next morning Alex awoke to a feast of eggs, bacon, grits, just about every breakfast food one could possibly imagine. They found it all sitting right outside their door with nobody around, but Donna assured her it was safe. In this dump Alex wasn't sure, but this was Donna's world, she would know what's safe and isn't safe.  
  
So she feasted. It was surprisingly good, better than anything she'd ever gotten from the breakfast menu of a fast food place. When they were filled to capacity they took turns in the shower, got dressed, and headed out of their room to the lobby. It was almost packed with people milling about and laughing in a companionable manner. Many of them didn't look very friendly though. Spiked chokers weren't uncommon.  
  
"You stay here, I'm gonna go see what's still available." Donna pushed her way through the crowd, leaving Alex standing by the entrance to the back rooms. She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the wall, watching the rough looking crowd just in case something broke out.  
  
"New huh?" Alex's head whipped around in surprise when she heard a male voice behind her. A man with light green eyes and a dashing smile was watching her. He was pretty scrawny to be in this crowd. His hands were extremely bony and his ribs were clearly visible through the open front of his black trench coat, under which he wore a pair of black sweat pants and a strange studded metal belt.  
  
"Yeah... kinda. How'd you know?" Alex asked, forcing her heart to calm down. She'd been very jumpy since coming here she realized.  
  
"You have the look of someone who's not used to being in this kind of atmosphere." The man leaned against the wall beside her, putting one foot against the wall behind him and crossing his arms over his chest. "It can be pretty daunting until you get used to it."  
  
"I've just never seen so many... um... violent people in one place." Alex replied. It was kind of a lie, she'd seen plenty of mind-control induced riots, but nothing with anyone sane like this. "You sound like you've been around a while though."  
  
"Yeah, I've been hanging around for a few years." He looked over at her. "You're with Donna Ramone huh? She used to be the best."  
  
"So I've heard." Alex replied. "I'm..." She trailed off, not sure what name to use. But she decided to remain consistent. "Firecracker."  
  
"They call me Mac." The man reached out for a handshake, which she returned. His bony hand almost hurt her palm, but the shake lasted only a few seconds before he let her go. "So, what are you here for? The thrill of the fight? Fame and fortune? Rebellion?" He asked. Alex blinked and gave him a distrusting look.  
  
"What, were you spying on me or something?" She asked. Mac laughed.  
  
"No, those are just everyone's reasons." Mac replied.  
  
"So which reason is yours?" Alex asked. He gave her a sly smile and shook his head.  
  
"Now now, let's not get too personal on the first date." Mac pushed himself away from the wall. "I'll see you around. Maybe in a fight some time... though it'd be a shame to disfigure that pretty face." Before she knew what was happening his palm swept across her cheek gently. He winked at her and left through the crowd.  
  
Alex watched him go curiously until Donna pushed her way back through the crowd toward her. "Alright, got you a fight. Should be a good chance to show this town what you can do." She walked up and slung one arm over Alex's shoulders companionably. "Come on, we should get moving if we want to make it to the arena in time."  
  
Alex nodded and let Donna lead her away from the crowd toward a staircase on the other side of the room that led downward. They entered a long tunnel filled with people traveling back and forth, some with pretty nasty wounds on their bodies. One guy was hauled past them on a stretcher, with his right arm turned around 180 degrees.  
  
Finally the tunnel turned upward and they emerged inside of a huge dome, which was filled to capacity with people. It looked like one of the large stadiums where they held sporting events, there was even a ring in the middle. But it was covered with a dome of steel bars, with a door being the only way in and out. It was a fairly large ring though, easy enough to maneuver in.  
  
The announcer was looking from inside the cage. "Would the participants for fight thirteen, please approach the ring!" He called.  
  
"That's you Firecracker." Donna nudged her forward. "I'll be right by the ring the whole time." Alex gave her a smile as she walked down the isle toward the ring. She climbed in, listening to the cheers and jeers of the crowd as she took one side. She'd gotten used to being rooted against by now, but this was on a much larger scale.  
  
"We have the Firecracker versus Michael Damien!" The announcer shouted. Alex turned toward the cage door to see a fairly well built man coming in after her. The announcer left, letting the assistants lock the cage behind him.  
  
"Well, aren't you a cute little thing?" Michael asked.  
  
"Thanks, but flattery won't save you." Alex smiled innocently. Michael smirked.  
  
"One-on-one match, until someone loses consciousness! Fight!" The announcer said. Michael just stared at Alex, and she stared back, standing up straight. She could see in his stance that he had no real training to speak of. He probably learned to fight on the streets, punching out hobos for spare change to buy himself beer. He sure smelled like it.  
  
Michael made a painfully obvious feint to the left, weaving back to the right. Alex moved to intercept, but to her surprise he charged right down the middle, clocking her in the jaw. Alex stumbled back into the bars of the cage, shaking her head clear quickly as Michael charged at her again. Alex fired her Zipline Bracelets at the top bars and used them to hold her up as she lifted both legs.  
  
She slammed one foot into his oncoming fist, cracking his wrist on impact. He howled and stumbled back painfully, but she kicked off the wall of the cage and swung forward, slamming both boots into his jaw. Michael collapsed to his back while Alex did a fancy flip in the air, unhooking her Ziplines and drawing them in as she landed cleanly on Michael's chest.  
  
Alex stood up straight and put her arms up like a gymnast as the lines clicked back into the bracelets. The roar of the crowd was deafening as the announcer climbed back into the ring.  
  
"In record time for a debut appearance, Firecracker wins!" He shouted. The roar of the crowd only grew louder as Alex started waving, a grin spreading across her lips. This was even better than the victories in Beverly Hills. This was a real match, in a real stadium, with a magnificent audience. This was the big time, and she loved it.  
  
She climbed out of the cage to find Donna shaking her head with a grin on your face. "Damn Firecracker... and here I thought you might have TROUBLE when we got here." She pulled her close and ruffled her hair. "You could whip anyone couldn't you?"  
  
"Well... I can try..." Alex blushed slightly.  
  
"Come on, let's get our money and go out to celebrate." Donna suggested.  
  
"I'd like that." Alex smiled and nodded. So they turned to leave the cage, heading down the isle in the direction of their hotel. Alex stopped however when she heard a familiar name called from the ring.  
  
"Versus Mac!" The announcer shouted.  
  
"Mac?" Alex turned around. She couldn't imagine that bag of bones fighting anybody, she'd thought he would be someone's manager, like Donna had become. But indeed there he was, standing in the ring with his black trench coat touching the mat around him. His opponent was a fairly muscular man who looked like 'hygiene' wasn't in his vocabulary.  
  
"One-on-one, until someone is rendered unconscious! Fight!" The announcer shouted from outside the ring. Alex watched the muscular man advance on Mac, but he didn't move.  
  
"What is he doing? He's going to be clobbered." Ales said worriedly. Donna walked up to her curiously and looked back at the ring.  
  
"Oh. Mac. He likes his fights to be dramatic. He hasn't actually lost in the last fifteen years. Only amateurs are stupid enough to fight him." Donna said. Alex looked at her in surprise, then back at the ring.  
  
Mac reached into his trench coat and pulled out a small metal orb as the brute hovered over him, reaching toward his throat. Suddenly eight thin-as-a-wire legs shot out of the orb and it leapt on the brute's face, letting out a screech that drowned out the entire roaring audience. Alex covered her ears painfully, watching the 'fight' in shock.  
  
A needle plunged from the orb into the screaming man's neck as he desperately tried to pry it off of him. The orb emptied something into him before jumping back, landing easily on Mac's shoulder. The bony man didn't move a muscle, watching the brute in front of him grip his throat.  
  
"You... coward..." The man growled and tried to lurch forward, but he fell to the ground unconscious, clutching his throat. The crowd went wild, universally cheering as Mac calmly turned to leave the ring.  
  
"Do you know anything about him?" Alex asked softly.  
  
"Just that he used to be a scientist." Donna replied. "But he was fired from his job. Nobody ever agrees on why. Some say he wanted to use his machines for evil. Some say he was wrongfully terminated because the company was evil." Donna shrugged. "Whatever the reason, it's obvious he was damn good at his job."  
  
Alex watched Mac walk away from the cage. She blinked when his eyes met hers and he gave her a small salute. She thought he would come toward her, but he turned off in another direction and headed down a different hallway.  
  
"Come on, let's get outta here." Donna grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the arena down the hall. They left the hotel and climbed into Donna's convertible. It seemed miraculous that it was still there considering the type of neighborhood they were in.  
  
"How come nobody took this thing? It sticks out like a sore thumb around here." Alex said.  
  
"Everyone around here knows this place. And they know not to mess with it. If something is parked there, it's off-limits." Donna replied.  
  
"Honor among thieves?" Alex asked.  
  
"Fear of retribution." Donna winked at her and turned to drive down the street. They made their way back to the shiny sparkling part of the city, though it didn't shine quite as much during the day as it had when they reached the city last night. Donna took them to the 'Texas Station' casino and led her through it. Once again the stench of cigarettes and body odor made Alex gag, but soon it was replaced by more tantalizing smells.  
  
"Best buffet in town... not that that's saying much." Donna told her. Alex smiled as they paid their way into the buffet, almost as large as the cafeteria at Bev. High and with more food lined up against one wall than she'd ever seen in one place.  
  
"Come on, celebration time." Donna smiled. They went through the lines gathering up their food, stacking two plates until there was nothing visible of them. They sat down and dug into their food in companionable silence. The atmosphere here was pretty nice, as everyone spent their time gorging themselves to the point of popping.  
  
"Oh man..." Alex leaned back in her eat after her sixth barbeque chicken breast. "I don't think I'll ever eat again..." She rubbed her stomach, which was now bulging slightly against the fabric of her former WOOHP uniform.  
  
"Not the best food, but there's no better place for a mindless gorging celebration." Donna replied, leaning back on the other side of the table. "We have time to catch a movie if you want. There's a theater right here in the casino we can go to."  
  
"Really?" Alex grinned and sighed. "I love this place..." Donna grinned and led her out of the buffet to the theater, where they went in to watch Garfield.  
  
Alex found it difficult to concentrate on the movie, or anything after that. She kept thinking about Mac's fight in the arena... if you could call it that. She'd only seen that kind of technology from two kinds of people. WOOHP agents, and evil villains bent on world domination. He didn't look like a WOOHP agent... could he be an evil villain? She wasn't sure... but she reminded herself that it didn't concern her anymore. She was a fighter now, not a spy.  
  
They left the Texas Station in high spirits, taking off down the street back toward their hotel. Between the extensive breakfast, fight, victory dinner and movie, their day had been sucked away from them before they even realized it. The sun was floating down toward the horizon in the distance, and it was best to rest. Alex wanted to fight again tomorrow, build on the momentum she'd started today.  
  
They parked in the alley again and made their way into the hotel, heading toward their room. "You've been quiet Firecracker." Donna told her as they entered the hotel room. "Something on your mind?"  
  
"Just thinking about Mac..." Alex replied. "I don't trust him..."  
  
"Well he has been known to occasionally kill opponents." Donna smirked as she threw her red leather jacket to the floor and sat down on the bed. "But he's harmless outside of fights. Get some sleep. It'll do us both some good." She said.  
  
"Okay..." Alex nodded and pulled her suit off, leaving her in black bra and panties, before climbing onto the bed beside her. Donna reached down and touched her cheek, sliding her fingers over her flesh with a soft touch. Alex stared up at her, curled up under the blankets like a baby.  
  
"Goodnight Firecracker." Slowly Donna's fingers moved away from her and she crawled under the sheets, rolling over to go to sleep. Donna loved her... Alex was sure of it now. She'd never seen such a tender... proud look in her eyes. Well it wasn't like Alex was complaining. In fact, she had an ear-to-ear smile as she drifted off to sleep.  
  
Dreams of sitting on a hill with Donna carried her through the night until she felt something underneath the sheets with her, crawling slowly up her body. She looked down and pulled the blanket up, seeing a strange glowing red eye moving up her body. She could feel its tiny pointed feet moving across her skin.  
  
"What...?" She asked softly, trying not to wake Donna. The red eye emerged from the shadows of the blanket onto her chest, contained within a small silver shell. It was attached to a razor-thin neck that was itself attached to a gumball-sized version of the orb that Mac had used during the fight. It climbed up to the top of her breast to stare at her, making soft cooing noises.  
  
"What do you want...?" Alex asked softly. The tiny silver head turned toward the door, then looked back at her. "You want me to follow you?" The head nodded and the orb turned to jump off the side of the bed. Alex pushed the blanket off of her and stood up, following it to the door. It slipped right underneath, but she had to pull it open and lean out into the hall.  
  
Looking to the left, she saw Mac leaning against the wall with his arms folded over his chest. The tiny orb-robot scurried up his coat to his shoulder, cooing in his ear. He looked over at her. "Hello again, I thought it would be nice to talk in private."  
  
Alex stepped into the hall and leaned against the wall beside him, putting her arms behind her back. "Okay, so talk."  
  
"Not so friendly anymore?" Mac reached up to rub one finger against the side of the gumball-bot's head. It cooed and rubbed back almost like a cat. "What, does my friend here scare you?"  
  
"No. It's kind of cute actually. But to be honest, YOU scare me." Alex replied. "I heard you were a scientist but got fired... and you kill people... how do I know you're not some nutjob out to destroy the world?"  
  
"How do I know you're not a cop here to arrest us all?" Mac countered. "Anyone can be anything, if you assume everyone has malicious intent, you're in for a lonely existence." He plucked the small robot from his shoulder, causing it to withdraw into a simple silver sphere. He put it back in his coat somewhere.  
  
"Point taken." Alex conceded. "But that still begs the question, what do you want from me?"  
  
"You're a strong young woman, Firecracker. I saw you in that ring, you're stronger than any of those windbags. And you know how to use unorthodox weapons." He looked over at her meaningfully. Alex didn't respond, keeping him affixed with a searching gaze. "I want your help."  
  
"To do what?" Alex asked.  
  
"First thing's first. I can't go telling everyone what I do... so I want to test you." Mac reached into his leather trench coat, which Alex was getting the feeling contained a lot more than one would suspect, and pulled out a small note. "Tomorrow morning I'm going to issue a general one-on-one challenge like I do every day. You accept, defeat me, and we'll talk about what you can do for me then."  
  
"Defeat you? But you're undefeated, and I saw how you fight today. I don't think I could defeat you." Alex told him seriously. Mac grinned and nodded his head appreciatively.  
  
"You know your limits. I like that." Mac pushed away from the wall. "I've given you my offer, take it or not. But it won't be open forever. If you don't take my challenge tomorrow, then don't ever sign up to fight me." He turned to leave, putting his hands deep in the pockets of his coat. Alex watched him go, then turned to head back into her room.  
  
What did he want with her? What would fighting him prove? Well, it would prove she wasn't a coward for one thing. Honestly though, she was almost sure she couldn't beat him. He'd gone undefeated for fifteen years. Besides, she didn't even know what he wanted her help with. He could want to make her one of his villainous henchmen... henchgirls... whatever.  
  
But... despite the obviousness of the danger and villainy... she knew she couldn't stay away. The same feelings of excitement and change that had brought her to Vegas again gripped her heart. She knew she would sign up to fight him. It was stupid, mindless, and a very bad idea... but she would do it regardless. She just could not resist.  
  
The next morning she awoke to find Donna still asleep beside her, though the clock showed it to be 9:30 in the morning. Alex climbed out of bed and dressed in her Firecracker uniform before heading out to the lobby, which was again packed with people. This time she pushed her way through them to the desk, behind which the clerk was now writing names on a blackboard behind him.  
  
There was Mac's name, as he said it would be, under Fight Nine. Signed up for a one-on-one, with no other name beside his. Alex waved the clerk over. "Sign me up to fight Mac." She said. The clerk smirked and looked her up and down.  
  
"I'm contractually obligated to warn you against that." He told her.  
  
"Just do it." Alex demanded.  
  
"Name?"  
  
"Firecracker."  
  
"Fine, it's been nice knowing you." He shrugged and turned to write her name on the blackboard. Alex walked down the stairs to the hallway that led to the arena, where a packed captive audience was watching a fight already in progress. She took a seat by the cage entrance, waiting for her fight to begin. Several fights later she was still waiting and getting impatient.  
  
She looked over when Donna stormed into the arena, fuming. She spotted Alex and marched over to her. "What are you doing? I find you gone, and you've come to challenge probably the only man in this business you CAN'T beat!? What's the matter with you!? You getting a big head?" She sat down beside Alex and smacked her on the back of the head.  
  
"I just have to fight him okay?" Alex rubbed the back of her head.  
  
"Why!?" Donna demanded.  
  
"I don't know." Alex glared at her. Donna stopped, giving her a dark glare. It was the same exchange she'd had with Sam and Clover before they left Beverly Hills. Apparently it didn't feel too good to have the tables turned on her.  
  
Donna sighed and shook her head, putting a hand on Alex's shoulder. "Alex... I don't want you getting' hurt. We're in this together." Alex blinked. She hadn't called her Alex in a long time, almost since they'd first become friends.  
  
"I'll be fine, I promise." Alex replied, putting one hand over Donna's. She looked up when the announcer went inside the cage.  
  
"Will the contestants for fight nine please approach the ring." He stated.  
  
"That's me... I'll be back soon." Alex said.  
  
"Good luck Firecracker." Donna said. Alex nodded and stood up to walk inside the ring. She walked to the far end and turned around, facing the door. The announcer watched Mac enter the ring. Cheers and shouts erupted from the audience at his entrance.  
  
"We have the spectacular newcomer Firecracker, versus the undefeated champion, Mac!" The crowd was roaring with anticipation, the sound rising to deafening levels. "Fight!" The announcer left the ring and locked the cage behind him. Mac stood his ground, folding his arms over his chest.  
  
"Okay, you got me here... what kind of test did you want to put me through?" Alex asked.  
  
"This kind." Mac reached into his jacket and pulled out one of the larger silver orbs, the size of a baseball. It sprouted eight razor-thin legs, a sinuous neck holding a shining red eye, and a scorpion-like tail with a needle on the tip. It let out a hideous screech and lunged at her, its needle glistening with venom.  
  
Alex whirled, her arm lashing out as the razor-thin wire extended from her Zipline Bracelet. It sliced through the small metal ball, cutting it clean in half. The liquid contained in its tail splashed to the ground beside her, bubbling on the mat and slowly eating through.  
  
"Huh...? That's not a sedative... it's acid!" She whirled on Mac. "You're trying to kill me! What kind of test is this!?"  
  
"A test of my skills." Mac reached into his coat and pulled out a small piece of paper. At the top the words 'Death Contract' were written. On the bottom, she saw the name Edward Ramone written on a dotted line. Donna's father... he hired Mac to kill her? Of course... he didn't want Donna here. And if Alex died, Donna would have to leave.  
  
"So you're just a petty assassin?" Alex smirked. "That's almost disappointing. But why bring me here? Couldn't you have killed me last night with your little robot?"  
  
"I could. But I've always finished my contracts in the ring... it's part of my appeal." Mac put away the contract and pulled out another ball. This one was bigger than the last, and when its limbs sprouted, it included a vicious-looking pair of blades on the end of two tentacles. Alex's Zipline Bracelet cut through this one before it could even properly jump at her.  
  
"God, and you're undefeated?" Alex smirked. "I've known school bullies tougher than you."  
  
"Good then, I won't go easy anymore." Mac grabbed the sides of his coat and held them out. A sea of shining silver orbs fell to the mat around him, dozens of them, all sprouting into the spider-snakes that he'd been using all along. They wielded a wide variety of weapons, and all of them were giving off that hideous hair-raising howl as they swarmed toward her.  
  
Alex backed quickly away from them until her back collided with the bars of the cage. The sea of silver bodies and glowing red eyes moved toward her, until like a wave of metal they all leapt at her.  
  
Alex lashed out with her Zipline Bracelets furiously, cutting through them in groups, but several landed on her, slashing her flesh with blades and smashing her joints with hefty ball-and-chains. When she saw the ones with the needles approaching, she raised her Zipline toward the top of the cage and reeled herself up to it, flying away from the spiders.  
  
She furiously knocked off the ones that clung to her suit before clinging to the roof of the cage, looking down. The wave swept easily up the bars toward her. Climbing on the cage obviously wouldn't save her. But looking down she saw Mac watching her. He was the one she was fighting... if she took him out the fight would end.  
  
She fired one Zipline toward him, but he stepped to the side and grabbed it, yanking. Alex was caught off guard and fell to the mat hard on her back with a heavy thump. A boot slammed into her side, doubling her over Macs foot. He raised his other leg, but she grabbed it and twisted, sending him to the ground.  
  
Alex looked back quickly, seeing the wave of spiders jumping toward her from the cage roof, one of which had the same kind of needle as the first one. Alex whirled to her back and lashed out with one leg. Her boot slammed into it, knocking it into the bars of the cage to shatter it. The acid ate through the bar, creating a gap in the solid steel.  
  
"What the...?" Donna walked up to the bars, staring at the gap. "Alex! Get out of there!" she screamed. "Someone get this damn cage open!" But the roar of the crowd and the screech of the steel spiders drowned her voice out.  
  
Alex rolled through the spiders as they tried to cover her, but she jumped to her feet, crushing two underneath her boots and kicking one hard enough to send it through the bars of the cage. The audience screamed and parted to let the creature slam into the bench, shattering on impact. But while her leg was up one spider jumped on her other one, driving a steel spike straight through her calve.  
  
"ALEX!" Donna screamed at the same time as Alex, who collapsed to her back on the mat. She rolled desperately to the side, but the spiders gave chase until she reached the bars. She raised her arm to fire her Zipline, but one spider leapt on her hand, slashing her bracelet with its long blades. It fell uselessly to the mat.  
  
The spiders swarmed over her body, covering every inch of her. "ALEX! Get up Goddamnit!" She heard Donna scream over the excited roar of the crowd. The glowing red eyes were all turned to her face, watching her as she waited for them to tear her apart like so much raw meat. But they didn't... they just perched on her body, staring at her. They weren't even screeching anymore.  
  
Suddenly one more spider leapt on top of the others, a needle glistening with liquid on its 'tail'. It looked down at her, spraying a small amount of liquid before pointing the needle at her.  
  
"ALEEEX!" Donna screamed one more time before the needle plunged into her throat, emptying its contents into her vein. Instantly Alex could feel its effects... but they weren't the ones she expected. She didn't feel any pain, she just slowly lost consciousness with darkness claiming her senses.  
  
The darkness began to recede at last, allowing a sliver of light to filter into her consciousness. "Alex... you awake?" She heard Donna's voice break through the darkness. Slowly she managed to force her eyes open. Everything was blurry, but she saw a blissfully familiar shorthaired head staring down at her. "Alex? How are you feelin'?"  
  
"A... alive..." Alex replied. She blinked and shook her head to try to clear the hazy fog from her vision. She was lying in the hotel room she shared with Donna. Her Firecracker uniform was lying on the floor, and she had a thick white bandage wrapped around the hole in her leg. The rest of her body was covered with smaller bandages, covering cuts and bruises sustained from the spiders' weapons.  
  
Donna put a hand on the Latino girl's head and pushed her back down onto the pillow. "Relax, you need to recover." She reached over and dipped a rag into a bowl of water before putting it on her head. Alex closed her eyes, savoring the cool feeling on her heated skin. She felt terrible... but at least she could still feel.  
  
"Why didn't he kill me? He said that's why he challenged me..." Alex mused softly.  
  
"He explained everything to me." Donna told her, holding the rag against her forehead. "I'll settle with my dad, so you don't worry about that. I don't know why he decided not to follow through on it, and I don't really care. More to the point, how could you be stupid enough to accept a challenge without talking to me first? I coulda told you the whole thing was a setup."  
  
"I know... I'm sorry." Alex replied. "I promise I won't do it again."  
  
"Damn straight you won't. Trust me, I know this place, I can get you good fights." Donna told her. Alex nodded and turned her head to the side, staring at the door. She blinked when she saw a sinuous red eye watching her from the crack under the door. Its head cocked to the side, then turned as the gumball bot crawled back out.  
  
What did Mac want with her? Why didn't he follow through on his contract? Did he really want Alex to help him... or was he toying with her? And how could she fight again knowing that the man who apparently runs this thing wanted her dead? This was all getting so complicated... but still, she didn't think she could get enough of this excitement.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	3. A Decision Made

Firecracker: A Decision Made 

The winter night's chill permeated the air, driving Alex to pull her thick wool blanket tighter around her body. A shiver ran down her spine, whether a subconscious warning or just the product of the cold she couldn't guess. The moonlight that filtered in through the window of her brand new house was the only illumination she had. She felt lonely. This was the first night in forever that Donna had been missing from her side. 

Life moved on, and doubts had faded from her mind. Mac had vanished after her battle with him in the ring, leaving her to fight her way up the ranks of the underground fighting league to become the almost undefeated champion. It was difficult with only one Zipline Bracelet remaining, but she made it anyway. Donna had said she would deal with her father, and it looked like she had placated him somehow, because no more attempts were made on Alex's life. 

She pushed herself up from the bed and wrapped the blanket around her otherwise bare body as she walked toward the door. The clock said it was 3:00 in the morning... she was seventeen years old today. It was amazing thinking about it. One year ago today, she'd been a glamorous spy for the World Organization Of Human Protection. A year before that, she'd been spending most of her time crammed behind soda machines and getting noses turned up at her. The year before that, she hadn't even been living in Beverly Hills. It was amazing how quickly things changed. 

She walked into the kitchen, rubbing her eyes and searching for any sign to tell her where Donna had gone. She found a small note stuck to the fridge, which she pulled off to read out loud. "Gone out Firecracker, rest up for the day while I get some things ready. Tonight, the rest of our lives will be set." She blinked and turned the small note over, but nothing more was written. 

She yelped in surprise when a hand covered her mouth from behind and she was pulled up against someone's chest, being held still. She let out a muffled yell, but a familiar voice whispered in her ear. "Ssshhhh." 

Alex blinked as the hand over her mouth loosened. "Sam...?" Alex turned around to see Sam in full WOOHP gear standing behind her. "Sam, what are you doing here!? I haven't seen you in so long!" Alex moved to hug her, but Sam put a hand on her chest, holding her back. Her expression was cold and hard. 

"Alex... do you have any idea what you're involved with?" Sam asked her harshly. 

"I know it's illegal but it's not hurting anyone..." Alex replied. "Well, except my opponents... but they signed up for it!" 

"Alex, this whole setup is a moneymaking scheme of the biggest organized crime syndicate in the world! They take the entrance fees from the fighters and use them to fund global crime, including terrorism!" Sam replied. Alex blinked, staring at her. 

Finally she looked away and smirked. "Even if it does, it doesn't affect me." Alex stated. 

"Alex, this money goes to-" Sam began, but was cut off. 

"I don't care where it goes!" Alex interrupted her a bit more forcefully than she'd intended. Sam stepped back in surprise, her eyes going wide. "Sam... this past month has been totally cleansing. I feel like I've found a place in the world, making my own way with Donna. I'm happy here Sam." 

"Well the happiness is going to end one way or another." Sam replied. 

"What are you talking about?" 

"I'm here because the World Organization Of Human Protection is stepping in to bring the entire organization down... and everyone involved in it." Sam's eyes bore into Alex's. "They're not sparing anyone Alex." 

"Wh... why are you telling me...?" Alex asked softly. 

"I want you to leave, before it goes down. Nobody ever has to know you were here. You can come back home, deal with your mom, and it'll be like nothing ever happened." Sam put her hands on Alex's shoulders, squeezing. "Everyone misses you... and this has gone on long enough. Come home." Alex stared at her, her mind racing. 

"I... I need time to think..." Alex replied softly. Sam nodded and pulled her hands back. 

"Of course... it's going down tonight at nine o'clock sharp, at the Arena." Sam told her. Alex nodded slowly. "Please... don't be there Alex. Just go back to Beverly Hills." Sam turned to leave, walking toward the front door. Alex watched her go, pulling the bed sheet tighter around her suddenly chilled body. What was she supposed to do now? 

She spent the rest of the morning getting ready for the day, sliding on a comfortable pair of blue-jeans and a white T-shirt after a nice relaxing shower. Donna returned at noon carrying with her a small parcel, which she threw on the table in front of Alex. Alex stared down at it, then looked across the table at her lover in confusion. 

"Go on Firecracker, open it." Donna said with an eager grin. Alex pulled open the small bit of wrapping paper and opened the box. She pulled out a leather full-body suit that looked like her painted WOOHP uniform, but was made of a far smoother and shiny material, and was carefully colored with professional-looking firework designs in various places. 

"Wow... this is wonderful." Alex smiled back, turning the suit around to see a firework explosion engulfing the entire back, almost seeming to glitter in the sunlight. "I love it! Thank you so much!" Alex walked around the table and engulfed Donna in a tight embrace, leaning her cheek against her shoulder. 

"Yeah well, I thought it was time you looked the part of the best of the best." Donna spoke into her ear, patting her back with both hands. When Alex didn't move away her voice grew curious and a bit worried. "Alex...? Are you okay girl?" 

"Y... yeah." Alex nodded and pulled away from her, giving her a comforting grin. "I'm fine. I'm gonna go try it on right now." Donna nodded, and Alex turned to head into the bathroom, locking the door behind her. She leaned against the door, her mind racing again. If she left, she wouldn't be able to tell Donna or she could spoil everything WOOHP was trying to do. Sam and Clover would hate her... but she couldn't abandon Donna... 

With a sigh she slid her clothes off and slipped into the new leather Firecracker uniform. It felt like it was made specifically for her, fitting over her body almost like a second skin. She left the bathroom a moment later, doing a small twirl for Donna in the living room. 

"Whoa. If you wanted to knock people dead you'll definitely do it in that." Donna smirked. Alex blushed slightly and smiled. 

"Thanks..." Alex said with a grin lighting up her features. "Your note said something was going on tonight...?" 

"Right, something big. The fight that will set us up for life." Donna said. "See, there's a fighter out of Russia coming into town for his vacation... I've managed to get him in the ring with you. I'm talkin' big time here girl, bigger than anything yet. When you beat him, the prize will be more than either of our lives are worth." 

"Don't you mean IF I beat him?" Alex asked nervously. 

"No, I don't." Donna slung one arm around her shoulders, leaning against her. Her smile was genuine as she stared at Alex, her face only inches away. Alex smiled back. "Come on, let's hit the town and celebrate the finish of our fighting journey, and say hello to our new lives away from the world." She pulled Alex toward the door, a spring in her step that Alex hadn't seen often. 

Alex let Donna pull her around town, celebrating their imminent freedom. How ironic. Alex knew if they went to the fight to gain that freedom, they would be captured by WOOHP. But if they didn't, they could find another way to make money. Yet that would require Alex to tell Donna the full truth, and she didn't want to betray Sam. 

The day wore on, with the sun gliding toward the horizon with no sign of an answer. Donna partied pretty hard, with food and a bit of wine. She didn't get drunk though, she remained upright and focused... just 'adding a silver lining to everything' as she'd put it. The watch on Donna's wrist ticked onward, draining away the time Alex had left to reach a decision. 

"Come on, you've been quiet all day Firecracker." Donna said suddenly as they drove along toward the hotel they'd stayed in upon arriving in Las Vegas. "Tell me what the problem is." Alex glanced at her, then down at the clock on the dashboard. It was 8:35. 

"I can't..." Alex replied softly. She thought her voice was lost to the rushing wind around the convertible, but Donna looked over at her, then pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road. She turned off the ignition and looked over at Alex seriously, her violet eyes boring into Alex's. Alex stared back, gulping, but not backing down. 

"We have to trust each other Alex. We can't start turning on each other, when that happens we'll start trying to stab each other in the back. Especially with so much cash involved. Trust me on that." Donna stared at her. "I like you Firecracker... but I've seen what large amounts of money can do to people." 

"What happened?" Alex asked. Donna turned back to the road and started the car again, taking off toward the hotel. She was silent for a moment until she started talking. 

"My dad ran the business for years before he fell in love. They married, had a couple kids... then things went south. Of course, if they divorced, she'd get half his assets..." Donna trailed off, leaving Alex to fill in the blanks. He'd killed her... Donna's father had killed her mother to keep from having to pay. That explained the hatred she saw in Donna's eyes any time they talked about her dad. 

"Here we are." Donna pulled up beside the hotel and climbed out of the convertible, with Alex beside her. They walked inside and toward the tunnel that led to the Arena. Alex glanced at Donna's watch. 8:46. It was almost time. WOOHP was always punctual, they would probably break in the second 9:00 rolled around. Time was running out. 

Tick tick tick. 8:53. 

The ticking of Donna's watch almost seemed as loud as their footsteps as they traveled down the tunnel. Branching hallways and passages led in different direction, through which various others traveled back and forth. Alex's mind raced, bolstered by the deafening rhythmic ticking from Donna's wrist. Time was running out. The window was closing. 

8:57. They emerged from the tunnel into the Arena, where a massive bear of a man who did, in fact, look like a bear with all the hair on his chest was standing in the ring as the announcer spoke. "And his opponent, you all know her, you all love her! Firecracker!" The crowd burst into a deafening roar, whooping and hollering with all their might. 

8:58. Alex stared at the ring, listening to the hollering crowd. None of them knew. She felt a hand grip her shoulder, so she looked over at Donna. Her violet eyes were staring into Alex's worriedly. "Are you sure you're okay Firecracker?" Alex blinked and looked at the ring again, then turned her gaze up toward the large domed ceiling. 

8:59. She could see the sparks of WOOHP gadgets burrowing through the ceiling. She would've never known what they were if she weren't familiar with the equipment they were using. They were coming... now... time to choose... be captured or run away? So she grabbed Donna's wrist tightly and turned to run back out through the tunnel. 

"Alex!?" Donna exclaimed in surprise. "What are you do-" She stopped when the hollers of excitement behind them turned to screams of surprise and fear. Alex pulled Donna toward the hotel, but she skidded to a stop hen she saw six WOOHP agents standing guard by the exit. Alex stepped backward, pushing Donna back, but one of the agents saw her. 

"Hey, you, freeze!" Several of them rushed down the tunnel toward the girls. 

"Run!" Alex whirled and shoved Donna along toward another passage, charging down it at full speed. Donna began to lag behind, but Alex grabbed her wrist and pulled her along. The sound of the WOOHP agents' footsteps and yells for them to stop came from down the tunnel behind them, but Alex didn't look back. 

They turned down another passage, but stopped when they saw another exit well covered by WOOHP agents. Alex skidded to a stop and turned around, but the agents behind them had already cut off any means of escape. Donna looked back and forth between them, growling. 

"Alright. Bring it on." Donna put up her fists as the guards closed in around them. Alex raised her arm as well, her back to Donna's with her Zipline Bracelet held up in front of her. The guards simply raised their weapons, laser rifles with enough power to either stun them or put holes through them both, depending on their setting. 

"Turn yourselves in ladies. You have until the count of three." One of the guards in front of Alex stated coolly. "One. Two." The guards all cocked their weapons, the energy charging in their barrels warningly. Alex slowly put her hands up, standing up straight. 

Suddenly she dropped to one knee and shot her Zipline forward. Donna took her cue and threw herself to the ground as the Zipline plunged into the Earthy ceiling over the guards near the exit. As quickly as it fired, Alex yanked it back, ripping a large chunk out of the rock and destabilizing the tunnel's support. The guards didn't have time to look up before the rocks began falling to the ground around them with a deafening rumble, magnified by the empty tunnel. 

Alex whirled in time for the stunned guards behind them to open fire. Both girls ran to the sides to avoid it, and Donna let out a howl as she charged forward. Her fist slammed into one guard's cheek, sending him flying against the wall with a thud. Another guard slammed the butt of his gun into her stomach however, doubling her over. 

Alex jumped over Donna and kicked the offending guard in the face, laying him out on the floor. When she landed she whirled, the Zipline Bracelet lashing out randomly for the third and final guard. She didn't see what it did at first. It didn't seem like it touched him. Suddenly a trickle of blood leaked from his throat and he fell to his back, limp as a noodle. 

Alex blinked in shock. She hadn't intended to kill him... just stop him. But it didn't look like he was breathing anymore... 

Donna grabbed her arm. "Come on, we've gotta find another way out!" She yanked Alex behind her as she marched down the tunnel. Alex shook her head, her breath coming heavy and long. She'd killed him without even thinking... almost like an instinct. But the thing that scared her more than that... after all this time of fighting and living with adrenaline in her body... she didn't really care that she'd killed him. 

"Hold it!" Donna shoved her back roughly against the wall, peeking around a corner of the tunnel. "Four guards... how many do you think you can take?" She waited in silence for a minute before looking back at Alex. "Hey, Alex. You with me?" 

"Huh? Y... yeah..." Alex nodded. The sounds of screams and gunfire could be heard from further down the tunnel, emanating from the Arena where it seemed a massive battle was brewing. "Sorry... just a little distracted I guess." She whispered apologetically. 

"Well focus. Now on the count of three, we go. One... two..." Donna pushed herself closer to the corner, taking a deep breath. "Three!" She charged around the corner with a furious yell. Alex followed right behind her, running at her side. They both skidded to a stop at the end of the hallway when they realized that the guards were already on the ground. 

"What the...!?" Donna exclaimed. Alex blinked and looked up. She spotted a flash of silver crawling through the window behind a desk. It looked like a silver sphere. 

"Mac!" Alex ran to the window and pushed it open. 

"Alex, wait up!" Donna followed behind her. Alex crawled out of the small hotel, located in a different slums from the one they'd stayed at before. She scaled up the fire escape, where she heard the tiny pitter patter of metal feet scraping across the steel structure. She reached the roof and jumped over the side to a crouch, looking around. Mac was standing on the edge of the roof, letting the silver ball crawl up the back of his coat to his shoulder. 

"I'm glad to see that you made it Alex. A lot of people won't." Mac said. Donna pulled herself up over the side of the roof to stand at Alex's side, grabbing her shoulder protectively. Alex looked at her, then shrugged her off lightly and walked up behind the man. 

"How do you know my real name?" Alex asked. Mac looked at her in surprise. "The only name I've given anyone here is Firecracker... you can't know my name's Alex unless you know me from before." 

"Brilliant deduction... and here I thought you were the stupid one of the three." Mac replied. Donna glared at him suspiciously and pulled Alex away from him. 

"Thanks for the rescue, but whatever is going on here, and whoever you are, we're not sticking around for it." Donna said venomously. 

"You don't know what's going on? Alex didn't tell you?" Mac turned around, smirking at them bemusedly. "Interesting..." He chuckled. Alex stared at him. Something was very, very familiar. Something tickled the back of her mind... a realization begging to be made, but not bubbling to the surface quite yet. 

"Come on Alex. Let's get outta here. They could look for us up here any time." Donna turned to pull Alex toward the fire escape again. Alex let herself be guided, trying to pull the realization out of her mind. 

_"Just that he used to be a scientist." "But he was fired from his job. Nobody ever agrees on why. Some say he wanted to use his machines for evil. Some say he was wrongfully terminated because the company was evil." "Whatever the reason, it's obvious he was damn good at his job."_ Mac... she'd heard that name used before... 

Alex stopped and gasped suddenly. "Tim Scam!" She whirled quickly, but found that the mysterious machinist had already disappeared. Fired from his job... incredible scientist, knew Alex... knew WOOHP was coming... he couldn't be anyone else. But how did he get here? Wasn't he supposed to be in prison? And he had such a reputation... he couldn't possibly have that if he'd been in a WOOHP cell as long as Jerry said. 

"Who?" Donna asked. Alex looked at her, then out across the roof again. 

"N... nothing... let's go..." Alex shook her head and turned to follow Donna down the fire escape. They reached the street and turned to leave the hotel calmly, as if they were out for a nighttime stroll. They weren't being specifically hunted, and nobody who'd seen them was in a position to catch them. They were free to leave with impunity. 

"How the Hell did this happen?" Donna mused darkly to herself. "Security's so tight these days... and such a big force. This wasn't local enforcement breaking up an illegal fight... something else is going on here. I know it." Donna stated. Alex stopped walking, looking at her. 

"Donna... you're right." Alex said. Donna stopped walking and looked back at her in confusion. "The organization is being broken up..." 

"What!?" Donna exclaimed. "Wh... why!? How!? How would you know!?" She demanded. Alex looked down at the street. She couldn't lie to her... not to her... not after all she'd done... 

"I worked for them..." Alex said softly. She didn't look up, keeping her eyes planted on the pavement. "I worked for the World Organization Of Human Protection... the people breaking up the organization now..." 

"Wh... what?" Donna stared at her incredulously. Her eyes narrowed slowly, as her fists clenched at her sides. "Was this all a setup? Were you using me to get into the organization!?" Donna screamed. 

"No!" Alex shouted back desperately. "I never used you, I had nothing to do with this!" 

"Then how did you know it was gonna happen!?" Donna shouted back. 

"Because Sam came to the house earlier and told me!" Alex replied. "I didn't want it to happen, but I couldn't stop it!" 

"You could've told me! I could've warned everyone and this could've all been avoided! Alex, if they're going after everyone that includes... my dad..." Donna trailed off, glaring at her. Alex stared back, her head down and her arms clenched nervously behind her back. "I have to go find him..." 

"I thought you hated him..." Alex said softly. 

"I do. But he's still my dad. And I'll be damned if I'm letting him go down because I trusted the wrong person." Donna spat venomously. Alex winced as though physically struck, not moving to follow as Donna turned to jog down the street away from her. Alex sank to her knees, her shoulders slumping. She'd tried so hard not to hurt anybody, make them mad at her... 

"Life is so damn tough isn't it?" A familiar male voice asked. Alex looked back to see Mac standing in the middle of the street, one of his silver orb-spiders still standing on his shoulder, glinting brightly in the moonlight. 

"I don't wanna talk to you... Tim..." Alex smirked. 

"Come on now, just because we've scuffled in the past doesn't mean I'm not helping you now." Tim Scam walked up to her and knelt down in front of her with one knee on the street. "We're the same, you and I." 

"What are you talking about?" Alex asked. 

"WOOHP. It's such a... limiting place. 'You can't build that, it's too dangerous.' 'You can't use it that way, it's unethical.' Bah, it's enough to drive any scientist to villainy. And apparently, it's enough to drive a spy to villainy too." He smiled slightly. Alex stared up at him, blinking slowly. "You left for the same reason they kicked me out... you couldn't take leading such a... futile life." 

"So you really are Tim Scam..." Alex looked him up and down. "You look... different..." 

"You didn't expect me to walk around looking like I did before did you? WOOHP's keeping a lookout for me, I'm not that stupid." Tim told her. 

"And the 'you' that's in jail?" 

"Someone I hired, using the same holographic technology that powers some of your gadgets." He replied. Alex blinked, and Tim nudged her companionably in the side. "Just because I'M out of WOOHP, doesn't mean all my friends are. Got any more questions for me?" 

Alex sighed and looked down at the street. "No... knowing anything else won't help me anyway. My life here's over." 

"Only if you let it be." Tim told her. Alex didn't respond, so he continued. "Are you going to stop fighting now? Letting your girl run off on her own into a situation you know she can't win by herself? Sam and Clover are going after the big guy, Alex, and Donna is walking right into the war zone." 

"Why do you care what I do or don't do now?" Alex asked, looking up at him. "Me and Donna don't matter to you." She stated. 

"Come on... just because I'm a villain bent on revenge doesn't mean I don't care." Tim smirked and pushed himself up to his full height. "Donna is probably at her father's mansion north-east of here by now... time is running out." He turned to walk away from her, sticking his hands in his pockets. "It's time for one more choice Alex. Abandon the life YOU chose, and go back home. Or keep fighting against all odds for the happiness you found." 

Alex stared after him, still on her knees in the street. There was no hope of saving Donna and her father now. The place had to be swarming with WOOHP agents, including Sam and Clover. With all her training and fighting skills, it was one against at least two dozen. A hopeless scenario with zero percent chance of victory on her part. 

She stood up and took off into a run toward the mansion, not thinking about the odds anymore. They didn't matter, this wasn't about victory. This wasn't about saving anyone, and it wasn't about making anybody like her. It was just about doing what she wanted to do. 

She reached the large mansion several minutes later, coming to a stop outside of the lush grass yard that led up to it. Black limousines and suited agents filled the front yard, and it was obvious that even more were inside the building. Alex clenched her fists and walked out onto the lawn, drawing the attention of several WOOHP agents. 

"Hey, you can't come on this property right now." One of the agents informed her. Alex lashed out with one arm, the Zipline flashing silver in the pale moonlight as it whipped across his chest. The agent stumbled back into one of the limousines with a heavy thud. 

"Hey! Stop!" the other agents raised their weapons, but Alex lunged for the already wounded agent and shoved him aside to the grass, whipping the door open and diving in before the gunfire erupted around her. She extended her Zipline and plunged the tip into the ignition. The engine caught and started with a furious roar. 

Bullets glanced off the deceptively defenseless looking bulletproof limo in small showers of sparks. Alex slammed her foot down on the gas, sending the vehicle hurtling across the grass toward the mansion. Agents dove out of the way quickly, while others tried in vain to stop her with a hail of bullets. The limo plunged through the mansion's front door, skidding to a stop just before slamming into the staircase beyond. 

Alex lurched out of the vehicle and bolted up the stairs, diving behind the rail to avoid the hail of bullets that erupted from the front door. She scrambled on all fours across the walkway toward one of the second floor doors, rolling forward to her back and kicking it open so she could roll inside and raise her zipline. 

"Empty..." She growled. She could hear the bootsteps of the WOOHP agents coming up the stairs after her. There wasn't time to find another door, so she charged for the open window and dove through it, sailing out into the night sky. She quickly fired her zipline at the corner of the wall. It caught and halted her descent, sending her swinging in that direction back toward the building in an arc. 

She brought her legs up in front of her as she hurtled toward a closed window on the side of the building. Her boots shattered it, sending her hurtling through into the room beyond. The glass shards bit into her leather bodysuit and skin alike, with the pain amplifying when she hit the floor and rolled up against the door. She was shaking slightly as she pushed herself up, cut up and a bit bloody from the glass shards. 

"Ugh... Spider-Man makes it look so easy..." Alex brushed the glass shards off of her suit as she stood up straight. She heard footsteps outside the door she was standing beside, with voices coming through under the cracks. 

"I told you, I'm not tellin' you anything." Donna's voice stated. "So you can just kiss my ass prissy." 

"Listen you brute, we're going to find her tonight! I swear if you did something to her..." Clover's voice answered. Alex stepped away from the door, dropping into a slight crouch. 

"I don't know. For all I know she went back home to kiss your ass." Donna snarled. Alex charged toward the door and leapt through the air, slamming one foot into it. The door exploded outward in a shower of splinters, slamming into the far wall with a massive thud. Alex landed in a crouch, looking around for any sign of the speakers. Donna was standing beside the doorway, staring in surprise, but Clover was nowhere to be seen. 

"Alex...? What're you doing here?" Donna asked. "Are you saving me?" 

"I'm not here for you..." Alex stood up, staring at her. "I'm here for me... because I want to be with you." Donna stared at her, then smirked and nodded, though she seemed pretty happy with that response. 

"Fair enough." 

"Where's Clover? I know I heard her out here." Alex asked. 

Donna jerked her thumb toward the remains of the door. Now that she looked carefully, she could see Clover's red suit underneath the splinter shards. "Enough about that though, we've got to find my dad. If they get him out of here, I might never see him again." Donna stated. 

Alex stared at Clover's unconscious form under the splintered wood for a moment more before nodding and turning back to Donna. "Right... lead the way!" Alex said. Donna turned to run down the hall, with Alex following right behind her. They moved cautiously, looking down hallways before turning and carefully avoiding the searching WOOHP agents. 

Donna led her up to the third floor, which was smaller than the others, but still a good size. They moved up to a room right in the middle of the mansion. Inside they could hear low, whispering voices. They couldn't make out what they were saying, but there was no doubt from their tone what they were there to do. Donna's dad was in custody already. 

Alex gripped the door handle and raised the fist with the Zipline Bracelet in front of her. She waited until one of the whisperers was in the middle of a sentence before throwing the door open and lashing out with the Zipline. It whipped across one agent's back, sending him to the floor as Alex whirled and whipped it across a second agent. 

A boot step behind her made Alex whirl with one more lash, bringing the line down vertically. But a hand intercepted it, and the line wrapped around a somewhat dainty green-gloved palm. Sam gripped the end of the line and held tight, despite the blood now dripping from her hand. The two girls stared at each other, tethered together by the Zipline. 

"Alex..." Sam muttered. It was one word, but it carried every possible emotion one could feel. Confusion, anger, disappointment... resignation. "I guess I already know what you'll say if I ask what you're doing." 

"I have to do what I have to do Sammy. I can't be happy any other way." Alex replied apologetically. "I'm sorry... but I have to do it." 

"And you know what I have to do." Sam yanked on the line, pulling Alex suddenly forward off balance. Sam slammed the flat of her palm into Alex's face, knocking her to the floor with a heavy thud. Alex tried to roll away, but Sam still held into the Zipline, holding her close as she buried the heel of her boot in Alex's side. 

"Aaaagh!" Alex cried out in pain as the heel dug into her flesh. She bit her lower lip and suddenly wrapped her arm around Sam's leg, since it was held up by the Zipline that held them together. She yanked down on it, drawing the razor-thin line across Sam's thigh. Sam yelped in pain and let up on the pressure, allowing Alex to yank her off balance. 

Sam fell forward, landing on Alex's stomach in a straddling position. Alex pulled her head back and gripped the Zipline between both hands, wrapping it over Sam's throat before she stopped to see what she was doing. The razor-thin wire was biting into Sam's neck, but not enough to draw blood... yet. Alex pulled the wire tight, holding Sam's head against her chest. 

Sam gurgled and gasped for air, reaching up to try to get her fingers between the wire and the sensitive flesh of her throat. Alex stared down at her, watching her. The redhead's eyes were closed, and her breath was coming in quick, pained gasps. Just slightly more pressure, or a quick yank would end it. She might be able to escape with Donna... if she killed Sam. 

"Alex, what're you waiting for?" Donna asked. "We've gotta get moving. Someone will be up looking for us any second now!" Alex stared down at Sam, not moving for several minutes. Slowly she let her grip on the wire loosen, pulling it back. It left a deep red welt across Sam's throat as she gasped in air greedily, reaching up to rub her neck. 

Alex pushed Sam off of her and climbed to her feet, letting the Zipline draw back into her bracelet. Sam stayed on her hands and knees on the ground, gulping air through wounded windpipes with her forehead touching the floor. "I'm sorry Sam... goodbye." Alex turned to leave, taking Donna's hand to pull her out of the room behind her. 

Suddenly her foot stuck to the floor, and she was unable to move it. Looking down, she saw the bottom half of her legs coated in a thick layer of ice. "What...!?" Alex looked back to see Sam holding a bottle of Liquid-Nitrogen Breathspray out in front of her. 

"Hey! I can't move!" Donna exclaimed, trying in vain to move her legs. Alex watched Sam rise to her feet, holding her throat with one hand while the other held the breathspray at the ready. 

"Sorry Alex..." Sam croaked. "Can't let you go..." She stated. Alex nodded and put one arm around Donna's shoulders, pulling her close. Sam pressed down on the nozzle of the breathspray, coating them both in a solid sheet of ice. Their bodies froze together, cutting off their senses with the freezing cold temperatures until they lost consciousness. 

Alex awoke in a solid WOOHP jail cell, with a thick plastic cell door and three plain white, unremarkable but very sturdy walls around them. She groaned and sat up, surprised to find herself wearing a solid orange uniform with a number over her chest on the left. Looking around at the cell, she spotted Donna leaning against the wall by the cell door, staring out at the guards beyond. 

Donna looked at her out of the corner of her eye, but didn't say anything. Alex looked down at the cell floor, knowing she'd blown it. If she'd finished Sam... they would've gotten away scott free. Donna would hate her now... but she hadn't been able to make herself kill her best friend... former best friend. 

"I'm sorry Donna... I..." Alex began softly. 

"Shut up." Donna replied harshly. Alex winced, but nodded and kept her mouth shut. She was surprised to see Donna sigh and shake her head. "Look... I don't blame you for this..." Alex stared at her in surprise, but Donna continued to stare out the cell door. "This isn't the first time I've been caught... and I know you did what you could to get me out." 

"But I didn't do EVERYTHING... I couldn't..." Alex replied softly. 

"Yeah whatever." Donna walked over to her and sat down beside her. "You did more than I thought ya would... you proved that you weren't in on it from the beginning and... I guess that's the best I can expect. After all, we're gonna be together for a long time." She smirked. 

"Rest of our lives...?" Alex asked hopefully. Donna stared back, then a slow smile spread across her face. 

"Let's not jinx the future... Firecracker." She put an arm around Alex's shoulders and squeezed lightly. Alex smiled back and leaned against her shoulder, closing her eyes. Here in prison for conspiracy and various other crimes, possibly never to go free again. She didn't know what would happen to her... it could be anything. But she didn't mind... she'd chosen this... and she'd chosen Donna... so she couldn't have been happier. 

The End (Ending Theme: "Somewhere I Belong" by Linkin Park) 

_(When this began)   
I had nothing to say, and I'd get lost in the nothingness inside of me   
(I was confused)   
And I let it all out to find that I'm not the only person with these things in mind.   
(Inside of me)   
But all the vacancy the words revealed is the only real thing that I've got left to feel.   
(Nothing to lose)   
Just stuck, hollow and alone.   
And the fault is my own.   
And the fault is my own. _

I want to heal.   
I want to feel.   
What I thought was never real.   
I want to let go of the pain I've held so long.   
(Erase all the pain 'til it's gone)   
I want to heal.   
I want to feel.   
Like I'm close to something real.   
I want to find something I've wanted all along.   
Somewhere I belong. 

And I've got nothing to say, I can't believe I didn't fall right down on my face.   
(I was confused)   
Looking everywhere only to find that it's not the way I had imagined it all in my mind.   
(So what am I)   
What do I have but negativity, 'cause I can't justify the way everyone is looking at me.   
(Nothing to lose)   
Nothing to gain, hollow and alone.   
And the fault is my own.   
And the fault is my own. 

I want to heal.   
I want to feel.   
What I thought was never real.   
I want to let go of the pain I've held so long.   
(Erase all the pain 'til it's gone)   
I want to heal.   
I want to feel.   
Like I'm close to something real.   
I want to find something I've wanted all along.   
Somewhere I belong. 

I will never know myself until I do this on my own.   
And I will never feel anything else until my wounds are healed.   
I will never be anything 'til I break away from me.   
I will break away.   
I'll find myself today. 

I want to heal.   
I want to feel like I'm...   
Somewhere I belong. 

Suddenly sparks erupted from the wall, moving slowly across the thick plating. Alex and Donna jumped to their feet in surprise, watching the sparks become more numerous as they moved slowly in a large circle in the wall. Finally the sparks made a full circle and the wall plunged outward into a dark night sky outside of the prison. A thick circle of silver orb-shaped spiders stared at them with glowing red eyes. An invitation... 

Donna and Alex exchanged glances for only a second before moving toward the spiders, walking into yet another life together. 


End file.
